A Matter Of Time
by WritingTrash
Summary: Princess Alice Kirkland of Britannia had been engaged when she was little, but he died too soon. She hadn’t understood what that meant then.
1. I

**Hello, I'm back with another USxFem!UK royalty AU, surprise, surprise. I know no one will read this because sadly, Hetalia is dying and this ship was never popular begin with, but I'll post it anyway,**

 **There technically is some older/younger romance. Nothing sexual or graphic, but there is a two year age gap so there will be times later when Alfred is technically a legal adult and Alice is not. Either way, nothing sexual happens and nothing more graphic than some kissing and hugs throughout the whole story. Just thought I'd warn you guys ahead of time.**

 **Edit: So I finished this with about 22000 words, which is a lot, there might even be more after I read through this all again. This was going to be a one-shot but obviously it won't be anymore. Now it will divided up by chapters. While writing this I divided it up randomly when I went to a new time or scene. So I'm just going to divide it up like that. There will be at least 39 'chapters' now but some might be added. These aren't all 1000 word chapters like I usually try to do, some are probably as short as 200 words. Im going to try and update once a week, but it might vary. This first one is a longer one. When I get to shorter ones I will update multiple at a time.**

 **This is posted on both and AO3! I also posted links to both on my tumblr, if you care enough it's on my profile.**

 **I think that's it, so I hope you all enjoy, if anyone even reads this.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.**

Alice had been engaged before she had even been born. It was an arranged marriage, which was both good and bad. She didn't have to worry about dating or finding someone she liked, or something who liked her for her, and not her crown. On the other hand, she had no control over it. Her parents and her fiancé's parents had decided it a few months before she had been born.

She hadn't ever met him. All Alice knew about him was his name was Alfred Jones, he was the crown prince of Americana, the larger neighboring country, and he was two years older than her.

They were going to get married when she turned eighteen, but that seemed so far away now. Then she'd become queen of both his country and her own, Britannia. She was the crown princess of Britannia. They would be merging their countries with this marriage, joining together and becoming a larger and more powerful country. Americana and Britannia has been on good terms for a long time, so this was good. If only this was how it turned out.

Alice was six when there was an attack on the Americanan castle. Alfred would've been eight. Only a few had really been hurt, it was an attack from a small rebel group in the north. After the panic had subsided and the families of both royalty and nobility had rejoined and collected themselves, they realized something. Prince Alfred was gone. The crown prince had been killed. That small rebel group in the north had been murdered by morning.

The Britannian princess didn't really understand what it all meant at the time. She had never met Alfred, she didn't know him as anything more than some gross boy she would marry one day for the good of her country. She didn't understand standing in a pretty black dress in a foreign country at a funeral for a child she didn't know. She didn't really understand the people crying around her for a fallen future king, the queen of Americana becoming hysterical when the coffin was lowered in the ground and having to be held back.

No one talked about the prince of Americana anymore, not even in Britannia. Alice no longer had an arranged marriage. He had a much younger little sister, she was two at the time of the attack, who now got the crown, but Alice wasn't marrying her.

People seemed to forget it. It was better to forget that there ever had been an Americanan prince and just keep living. The commoners didn't really care much anyway. Sure, he was prince, and he was a child, but he didn't really affect them and their daily lives. By the time Alice was nine, the only reminder of that attack and his death was the annual memorial day. It was on July 4th, Alfred's birthday.

The years continued to pass, and as Alice got older, she got more responsibilities. She went to classes daily with the noble children, to associate with kids her age and also get to know them because some of them would be on the council when she became queen. She also went to extra lessons with her parents and sometimes they made her sit in boring meetings. Being princess was starting to get exhausting.

One her favorite hobbies was reading. She went to the castle library regularly and took the fantasy novels and read them in the little free time she had. Sometimes she stayed up late and read them at night in the moonlight, when she was finally left alone.

The princess was eleven, one late spring night. She was curled up in her large fluffy bed, an abundance of pillows and blankets, all soft and warm. A thick novel about a dragon hunter who had befriended a princess, yet didn't know she was a princess of dragons lay next to her. Her emerald eyes flickered across the words, quickly reading and turning the pages. They said it was bad to read in the dark, but Alice didn't care, she had to know how this book ended now, who needed sleep anyway?

The princess was in her own little world, when she heard footsteps outside her door and voices trying to be hushed but failing. She quickly stuck her bookmark in her book and set it on the nightstand, then pulled the covers over her and shut her eyes. She lay slightly curled up, how she usually did when she was trying to sleep. The footsteps continued past her door, they weren't coming for her. Alice heard a small muffled voice.

"...so important to wake us up at..."

That sounded like her mother's voice. Alice furrowed her eyebrows in confusion and sat up. Why was her mother up at this hour? Now she had something more interesting to do.

The princess left her bedroom, careful to shut the door very softly. She walked down the dim halls of the castle quietly. She knew her way around at this point. Still, the atmosphere of the castle was different at night.

Silent, dark, empty. The people of the pictures and paintings seeming like they would step out of their frames, the busts and flowers turning to watch the small princess as she walked. The plush carpet muted her footsteps, while the walls screaming back any noise. Alice could feel goosebumps on her skin.

She finally found the voices again, both her parents stood there, each wearing robes over their pajamas. Another man stood there, talking to them. Alice hid behind a corner. The walls yelled their words back, letting Alice hear.

"...on the western border, that's where they were found."

"The Americanan border?" Her father asked.

"Yes, Your Majesty. We think that they had some relation to those rebels, the ones who attacked the Americanan castle and killed the prince."

"What did they want? Did you get anyone to interrogate?" The queen questioned.

The man hesitated. "No, forgive me, my queen. The head patrol officer said they started killing each other before we could get anyone. Apparently it was a group of a few men and women, we got eight bodies total. When they were noticed by our border patrol they started chanting,' _Times will change, you will all fall_ ' and pulled out their guns and started killing each other. Some of them committed suicide as well. The only alive person we acquired, he.." the man trailed off.

Alice felt her stomach get tangled. She was young, but not young enough to not understand what that meant.

"He what?" The king pressed.

"He can't be older than fourteen."

"A child? What was he doing with a group of Americanan rebels?"

"I have no idea, Your Majesty. I don't think he was there because he wanted to be. He suffered injuries the others didn't. They tried kill him as well, but in the panic he got away and we found him unconscious several feet away."

"What kind of injuries?" Her mother asked.

"Head trauma, probably some version of a concussion. Several bad scratches and bruises, his wrists are raw, like he has been tied up for a while. He probably has a broken rib or something like that as well."

"Where is he now?"

"Being treated by the castle's doctors. Would you like me to take you to him? I believe he is still unconscious and probably will be for the remainder of the night." The man asked.

"Yes, I would like to see him."

Alice looked around the corner again to see her parents and the man walking down an opposite hall. She wanted to follow, see this other boy, but she didn't. If someone found her out of bed or found her room empty, the whole castle would become crazy. She didn't want to worry her parents. Alice would ask them in the morning about the boy, who he was and why he was with those rebels.


	2. II

**A few people have said they like this so yay. School is sort of hell.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.**

The princess never asked her parents about the late night conversation. It was a whole two months, midsummer, before she even remembered the mysterious boy again. It was only because when she walked into her daily class, the one she shared with the noble kids her age, the seat in the front row just left of hers wasn't empty. A boy sat in it.

He was flipping through one of their science books, skimming the pages, not paying much attention to the rest of the world. He looked small, even though he was probably a little taller than she was. He looked like he was trying to be small. Other than Alice and him, there were two other girls who were friends already in the class, and Alice didn't care much about them.

Usually she was one of the first to class, since it was held at the castle, where she lived. Even though, the noble children always arrived quickly. The furthest noble house was only forty minutes from the castle.

Alice approached the front table where the new boy sat. He didn't notice her until she cleared her throat. He jumped and looked behind him at her with big blue eyes. "Oh, sorry, I can move!" His eyes got even wider when he looked over her. She wore a nice pink dress that had intricate pearl designs. Most of the noble girls wore dresses, but Alice's were always the best. "You're the princess, aren't you?"

The Britannian smirked and offered her hand. "Princess Alice Kirkland, who are you?" He slowly took her hand. Under the sleeve of his dress shirt she saw healing bruises and raw skin.

 _"... his wrists are raw, like he has been tied up for a while..."_

He shook hands carefully, he still didn't answer.

She pulled away and sat down, smoothing down her dress. "You don't have to move, that's usually an empty seat. I sit here. No one likes to sit next to me because they say I'm mean, but I've got a secret. Do you want to know it?" Alice organized her books on her desk, stacked up largest and thickest to smallest and thinnest. He still watched her.

"Sure." He quickly added. "Your Highness."

Alice frowned and glanced at him. "You don't have to call me that. I like it when people call me Alice, but no one ever does except my mum and dad." He nodded. "But no, my secret is that I'm mean to them on purpose."

Their faces were kind of close. Alice noticed a scar under his bangs, and he looked a little bruised.

 _"...head trauma..."_

"Why?" He asked.

"Sometimes other people are annoying, they won't listen. Especially Francine, don't talk to her. I mean, they will have to listen to me at some point, I'll be queen and I'm more important than they all are." The princess and Francine, another noble girl, didn't have the greatest history.

"Are you going to be mean to me?"

Alice hummed. "No I don't think so. You look like you need a friend. We can be friends, if you want."

He thought about it for a second before nodding. "Yeah, I'd like that."

"Well, if we're going to be friends, you have to tell me your name."

"Oh, I'm Alfred."

Alice recognized the name easily. "I was going to marry an Alfred."

He looked so confused and also a little flustered, Alice giggled at his weird expression. "What?"

"The prince of Americana, his name was Alfred, too. We were going to get married." The princess clarified.

"Was? What happened to him?"

It was her turn to look confused. "You don't know?"

"Know what?"

"He died." Alfred's eyes got wide again.

"When?"

"I was six, so five years ago. There was this big attack on the Americanan castle, and he died."

"Oh. Sorry."

"It's okay, we never even met." They were quiet for a second. Nearly all the other noble children had arrived, class would start soon. "Hey, what's your last name?"

Alfred looked back at her. "Oh, I think it's Williams."

"Think?" How did he not know his last name? She did know the Williams family though. Their house was fairly close to the castle. Matthew Williams, the head of the house was often visiting or working at the castle. He and his wife didn't have any children, her mum said they weren't able to have any kids. They were the only ones of the family, except his parents.

"Yeah, that's what they said. I-um-I guess I'm adopted now."

Before Alice could ask him to clarify, class began.


	3. III

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.**

Alfred quickly became Alice's closest friend. She wasn't on terrible terms with the other noble children, other than Francine, but she had never been this close to them. They just seemed to click.

It has started out because Alice thought he was the boy her parents had been talking about, she still wasn't sure if he was or not, but she actually enjoyed his company.

They were partners on every project, Alfred was always coming over to the castle to study or hang out. It took a little bit to get him out of his shell, he had been so quiet and jumpy. By the second month together they were wrecking passive havoc on the castle. Simple things like move around busts from one hall to another or playing loud hide and seek and tag.

He was thirteen, just turning that in May, just over two years older than her. The age difference honestly didn't matter to them. Alice had a best friend, Alfred had a new life. They made everything better.

They had been friends for three months when July 4th rolled around. That week of the 4th they always focused on Americana and it's history, as a casual tribute to the dead prince.

Alice smiled when Alfred walked into class. It varied, who got there first. The days Alice could barely roll out of bed were the ones when Alfred got there first, but today wasn't one of those days.

"Good morning." The princess greeted. He smiled back.

"'Morning!" Alfred returned, sitting in his seat next to her. They chatted unexcitingly until the tutor began class.

"Now do any of you know what today is?" She began, looking over the children. Alice could answer, but she decided to give someone else a chance. The students exchanged looks and glances. The kids in their class ranged from ten years old to fourteen years old.

There was also an older class of noble children, fifteen year olds to eighteen, and a younger class, mostly nine year olds to six year olds. Siblings of these kids were in those classes. This class would stay together until they all left this class at eighteen. Some would take jobs outside of the castle, or some would be married away to strangers or old family friends, by the time Alice was eighteen she'd be married and eligible to be crowned as queen. But eighteen was far away, and she didn't even have a fiancé anymore.

Some of them tried to guess what the tutor was asking for.

"Today!"

"July 4th!"

"Monday!"

"I guess those are technically right."

A girl raised her hand and spoke in a matter fact way, she was fourteen. "Today is the birthday of late Prince Alfred Jones of Americana. He'd be thirteen today."

Alice heard one of the younger ones behind her whisper to his friend. "What's he late for?"

"Thank you, Anneliese. What happened five years ago in Americana was tragic. We can't do much to change what happened then, but every year I like to focus on Americana and it's history this week. Everyone open up your modern history books and look at page 186." The tutor continued on. Alice somewhat listened, but Alfred caught her attention quicker. He was staring at page 187 with a strange look. The page showed a picture of the Americana castle.

"Alfred?" She poked his arm softly, the blond nearly jumped out of his skin, looked up and around suddenly. "Are you okay?"

The older nodded. "Yeah.. yeah. Just looks kind of familiar." Alice meant to ask him what that meant but she never got the chance.

Alfred never talked about before they met, his childhood, those rebels, absolutely nothing.


	4. IV

**So this one is super short but the next one is long.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia**

"So, you're coming, aren't you?" Alice peeked over her friend's shoulder. He was busy reading the cursive invitation.

"I'm invited?"

"You are holding an invitation with your name on it, aren't you?" Alfred nodded.

"But don't all the nearby royal families go? I don't think I'd fit in." The golden blond argued. Alice rolled her eyes, taking her seat next to him.

"I don't care if you fit in or don't, i just want you there. I don't even like hosting these parties, but it's a tradition. I don't like all those stuck up royals, they just use my party as an excuse to get drunk." The princess returned. Alfred smiled at that.

"I don't know if birthdays count as a tradition."

"My birthday isn't the tradition, it's the big party we have to throw every year, because,"She did air quotes." it's 'tradition' to have a big celebration. At least in Britannia, I don't know what other countries do for birthdays."

"Well sure, I'll come, if I'm allowed. I'll probably be the only other kid there other than you." Alfred answered.

Alice beamed."Good! Those parties get so boring, you and I can spend the whole night together. And we won't be the only kids, all the royal kids come to visit too. I don't really like any of them that much though."

"Sounds like fun." Alfred folded up the invitation again and put back in the lavender envelope, then stuck it in one his books.

"Maybe I could get them to throw a big party for your birthday." Alice suggested playfully, knowing he'd never go for it.

Like she guessed he looked up quickly and practically shouted. "No!" A few other kids sitting around looked at them in confusion. The princess and Alfred both started to laugh at both them and the bewildered looks of their classmates.


	5. V

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.**

Alice couldn't wait for her twelfth birthday, simply because this year promised to be better than last. This year she had a friend, who would hang out with her and make this party actually fun. The other royal kids were either too old, too young, or too unexciting. The adults always talked over her head, not seeming to care that in a few years she'd be the one who they'd have to talk politics with. But thankfully that was her parents job now.

It was finally April 23, this year her birthday was on a Thursday. All classes and lessons were canceled for the next few days as both a break for her and for the castle and it's staff prepare for guests and the event.

The party began at 6:30 and carried on until 11:00, but usually Alice left before then, either to sleep or just because she was bored.

The first hour or so was greeting guests and royals. Everyone always came and said happy birthday but not much else. The other royal kids had already collected in a group, chatting and goofing off. Alice kept scanning the thin crowd for Alfred.

The large clock read 7:40 when someone tapped her on the shoulder. The princess jumped and looked behind her. Alfred was standing there smiling. He had dressed up a little more with a simple suit. He was only a few inches taller than her now, but often it wasn't obvious because he rarely stood up straight.

Alice grinned and hugged him. "I thought you wouldn't come!"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world, Julchen made us late." He shrugged and they broke apart.

Julchen was Matthew Williams's wife, they were the ones who adopted Alfred. Even though they were basically his parents, he still called them by their first names, which Alice thought was odd. When she asked him about it he simply said that they weren't his mom and dad, he loved them, but they weren't his real parents. He didn't know where his parents were but they had been around at some point.

"What did I miss?" Alfred asked.

"Nothing, just chatting with a bunch of royalty." Alice sighed, gesturing around the room unexcitingly.

The taller nodded and looked back at her. "Well, happy birthday! You look really nice."

The princess looked over her gown, it was longer than the ones she usually wore. It was indigo and sparkly on the top. "Thank you! It was specially made for this, you look nice too."

"Thanks, but I hate this suit, it's stuffy, I don't think I could do this all the time like the kings do." Alfred confessed, making them both laugh.

"Well good th-"

"Alice!" They both turned at her name. A younger golden blond girl was rushing up. "Happy birthday!" Alice easily recognized her. She was Princess Madeline Jones of Americana.

She had known Madeline her whole life, Americana and Britannia were still strong allies. The other princess was four years younger than Alice, making her eight. Their age gap was fairly large but Alice still enjoyed spending time with her, if only in an older sister kind of way. Madeline missed out on having an older sibling.

She and Prince Alfred would have been six years apart, she was only two when he died. Madeline had mentioned before that she barely remembered him, only that she used to follow him around all the time and he always tried to include her when he could. She said it was weird, having a brother so talked about, but she couldn't even remember him.

The Americanan princess smiled and curtsied quickly before hugging Alice. "It's been so long since I've seen you, happy birthday!"

"Thank you! How are you, your family? I haven't seen them around yet." Alice returned, glancing at Alfred with a amused smile.

The princesses broke away. "Good, it's hard work, getting ready to be queen. My mom-" Madeline paused and frowned. "She is quiet, like always. Dad is always working, I think he's trying to drown himself in the work. Who is he?" Madeline said this quietly, she always spoke softly when talking about their family like that. Alice couldn't help but wonder how different the younger princess would be if her brother hadn't died, how different their whole family would be. Well, they would nearly be sisters if that hadn't happened. Strange to think like that.

"Oh, this is my best friend, he's in my classes. Alfred Williams, meet the Crown Princess of Americana, Madeline Jones. Madeline meet Alfred." They both smiled at each other, Madeline curtsied and Alfred bowed.

"Nice to meet you." Alfred said, but Madeline was looking at him a little confused. He looked back to Alice. "I'm going to go get some water." Alice guessed he was just making up an excuse, if Madeline was looking at her like that she'd be uncomfortable.

"Madeline? What's wrong?" The smaller princess had watched him walk away.

"It's a coincidence, I guess."

"What is?"

"He has the same name as my brother did.

"Yes, that is coincidental. You know Alfred isn't an uncommon name." Alice reminded. Sure, it wasn't common now, since no one wanted to really remember the dead prince, but her Alfred would've been named a few months before Prince Alfred was even born.

Madeline looked back to her, but her nearly purple eyes kept glancing back toward Alfred. "But that's not just it. I don't really remember Alfred because I was too little when he was around, but there's pictures of him, only a few, but I've seen them. There's a room with all the old kings and queens, you know the ones who aren't here anymore. Alfred's in there, it's one of the only pictures of him anymore. My mom took them all down almost everywhere else. I used to go in there a lot. Your friend, he looks a lot like my Alfred."

Alice furrowed her eyebrows. "That's just a coincidence, Madeline, you know that right?"

The shorter princess looked back at her and nodded. "Mmhm. I better go find my mom, bye Alice."

When Alfred came back, Madeline was gone. "Was she okay?" He asked, offering her a glass.

Alice shrugged. "That whole family is different now, but that's sad, what do you want to do?"

They spent most of the night chatting, every once in a while someone would show up and Alice would introduce them to Alfred. The most exciting thing of the night was when the queen of Americana dropped her glass and froze. Alice and Alfred had had a clear view of her, but before she could really get a good look at whatever had startled the queen, her husband had ushered her away. They were on their way home to Americana by the next morning.

Alfred didn't get her a gift for her birthday, which Alice wasn't upset about. She was a princess, she had nearly everything she could ask for. He had said he had forgotten, and he had already been late, there wasn't time to get her anything meaningful. The blond rambled on about how he would get her something soon, but he wanted to make sure she loved it first. Alice told him don't. His company was the greatest gift to her. Alfred had hugged her tightly after that, she didn't think anyone had told him anything like that before.


	6. VI

**I feel like Alfred's a little OOC here but whatever.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.**

Alice was thirteen when Alfred finally shared what had happened before they met. He was fifteen, and they had officially been best friends for three years. She had only just turned eleven when they had met for the first time.

Both of them had begun to mature, they didn't run around the castle and play hide and seek or tag for hours. Usually they just sat in one of the sitting rooms or her bedroom when Alfred came over. As they got older, there was more homework, so often they just did that, making joke about a dead guy's name or a stupid law.

They were the same height for the time being, but Alice knew her friend would easily out grown her. Her family wasn't super tall and who knew about Alfred's. She was getting better dresses, some showed a little more skin, a few were sleeveless. Alice didn't love them overly much. She was still small and skinny, and not very pretty. A nicer dress wouldn't change that.

She hoped she got prettier when she got older, maybe she would look more like her mother. Her mother was especially pretty, at least in Alice's mind.

Alfred always said she was really pretty even beautiful sometimes. She wasn't sure if he actually meant that or if he was just being a nice friend.

Alfred's voice had deepened a little while back too, which had given Alice several opportunities to laugh at him and his voice cracks.

They were sitting in her bedroom, she was laying across her bed and Alfred was on the floor. They were both working on some algebra homework, but Alice was terrible at it and Alfred was a whole page ahead of her.

The princess sighed and plopped her head down on her book. "How do you get this?" She whined, she heard a chuckle from Alfred.

"I just get it, you're better at writing and reading than I am." He said.

Alice propped up her head, and looked back to him. "You know I don't even need this, I'm going to be queen! Queens don't sit around solving-" She looked back at the book to see what they were doing. "quadratic equations. I'll have someone to do it for me if it's really needed."

"Luxury of being queen. It's still nice to know, I like math..." He trailed off and laughed instead when he noticed her disgusted look.

"I don't understand how you're so much better than me at this though, you've only been going to classes for two years." The princess returned.

He frowned. "I went to some kind of classes before– I knew how to read and add, subtract, multiply, stuff like that, I had to be taught that beforehand, right?" He sounded like he was asking more than telling.

"I suppose." They were quiet for a minute, Alice rolled over onto her back and pushed the forgotten math book to the side. She stared up at the ceiling, even it was perfect with its fancy crown molding and smooth paint. She decided to ask what she had been wondering for a while. "Do you remember anything, about before you came here?"

There was a deep breath, but Alice couldn't see his expression. "Yes. It's not the good, though."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I probably should."

"You don't have to."

"No, I want to. I should. You should know." He paused before beginning. "The earliest memories I have are when I was probably about nine or ten. I can't remember anything before that, nothing clear anyway. Sometimes there's blurry pictures of people or voices that I can't hear, but I know they're talking. Some things seem familiar, like when we talk about Americana, I'm pretty sure I was from there at some point, maybe."

"Your accent is more Americanan that Britannian. I've noticed that." Alice added. She rolled over again and rested her head on her arms, able to see him now. He seemed small and jumpy again, like how he was when they first met. She didn't like when he looked like that, it made her sad.

"Yeah, it is." Alfred was playing with his fingers absentmindedly. "Those rebels, the ones who stormed the Americana castle, they're the only people I can clearly remember from my childhood. A group of them escaped before the army came and killed them all. I think they kidnapped me from somewhere in Americana, somewhere near the castle, but we were constantly moving. By the time I figured that out, I had no idea where I was from. They were mean to me, usually keeping me tied up and making me carry their things and do the nitty-gritty work. When I did anything wrong, or they were just bored, they'd hit me and yell at me or break something or shoot things. The worst time was when one of the men was drunk and shot me here."

Alice gasped softly, as Alfred pointed to the right, just above his waist. "Even though they did all that, hurt me and abused me and stuff, they always quickly treated my wounds and fed me just enough so I wouldn't complain or starve. Even when there wasn't enough food to go around and others in the group went without food, they always fed me. They were keeping me alive, but I never understood why. I couldn't figure out why they didn't just kill me. I still don't.

"Then we were on the border and some Britannian soldiers saw us and started shouting to stop and put down our things. It was like a switch flipped. Within seconds after the soldiers said something, they were all started pulling out their guns and started shooting each other. When people to kill ran out, they just pointed their guns at their heads and killed themselves. Until the end they kept say,'Times will change, you will all fall'. One of them tried to kill me too, but I managed to get away. When I woke up I was here." Alfred concluded with a exhale. He looked shaky, still playing with his fingers and staring at the floor with glassy eyes.

Alice crawled off of her bed and sat next to him and offered a hug. He silently hugged her back tightly. She was pretty sure he had begun to cry. "I'm sorry. About all of it."

"You couldn't have done anything."

Alice didn't say anything back. He was right, she couldn't have done anything, and all she could do now was to help Alfred through this and be the best friend she could be. That would have to work for now.


	7. VII

**Usually I update to AO3 too but it's down today so I guess I'll just post these here and post those later.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.**

"Now, I know it is early, but I need to at least plant this idea in your heads." Their teacher began. Alice had her head propped and was playing tic-tac-toe on the corner of her paper with Alfred. She was X and he was O. She had lost the last four games and won two.

Class was fairly boring, as it always was, but Alfred made it better and it was a thousand times more exciting than these new budget meetings her father was making her sit in now.

 _"It will be your responsibility to rule the country soon, you must know how to regulate and control the economy. Your mother and I won't be around forever to do it for you. Poor people are unhappy people and unhappy people start riots and rebellions."_ Her father had lectured the other day. Alice was fairly sure she could handle a rebellion or two if she had to.

 _"...your responsibility to rule the country soon..."_

That left the princess more nervous than these meetings. Alice was only fourteen, at the earliest she would be crowned in four years, when she turned eighteen. That was the earliest she could even take the throne. Of course, if something happened to her parents and they couldn't rule, then she could technically be crowned now, if it was absolutely needed. Four years was still a long time away, wasn't it? It wasn't even guaranteed she would be crowned when she was eighteen, she wasn't even engaged yet, but that was it's own problem.

"I know some of you are sixteen or seventeen, and when you are eighteen you will graduate from this class. You should start thinking about the future, what you want to do, where you want to go. I'd like to go around the room to everyone and have them all say something they may be interested in doing after they turn eighteen." She began with calling on an even younger girl in the back left corner.

Alice scoffed, like she wanted to be talking about the future now. Alfred won their round of tic-tac-toe and the princess frowned. He silently began to start to draw another pound sign to play a new round.

The lighter blond looked up to her friend. Alfred had his growth spurt, he was nearly six feet tall now, while Alice was still only about five and a half feet. They looked a little stranger together now. He was had turned sixteen a while back. Suddenly she was paying more attention to the futures everyone was thinking up.

What would Alfred do when he turned eighteen? She would still be in classes, two years behind. What would she do without her best friend to play stupid games and help her with her math homework? Most of all, she didn't want to say goodbye to him.

It was his company she loved the most, he could be sitting across a room, silent, and she would still feel at ease. She liked just being with him. When he would check over a math assignment and she would look over and see his messy gold colored hair nearly hiding his face, busy in thought, when they had a brief hug after not seeing each other for a while and she only reached his neck because of the newfound height difference, when they accidentally touched and her skin felt a little warmer where he had been. When he got quiet and she knew he was thinking about then, or when he would raise his hand for practically every math or science or Americanan history question, or when-

"We all know what you'll be doing after you leave, Your Highness." The tutor said with an amused tone. Alice looked up quickly and smiled before it was obvious she had zoned out the whole class. Alfred was on her left and one of the last people to state his ideas. "What about you, Alfred? Any plans for the future?"

"I'm not sure, yet. I was thinking maybe something with the military, or something with math." Alfred said.

The teacher made an unexciting, overly enthusiastic comment and moved on to the next student.

"What did you mean, about the military? Were you actually thinking about it or was that just the first thing you thought of?" The princess asked as they left the class. She had a meeting she should be in, but she'd just make up some excuse when she was late. They walked together toward the front, where the nobles came to pick up their children.

Alfred glanced at her and shrugged. "I was actually thinking about it. Why?"

Alice furrowed her eyebrows. "Why were you thinking about it?"

"A few reasons. Mostly so I wouldn't have to leave the castle, we could still hang out and stuff when I had free time. And... well I guess I think that if there were more soldiers and guards, someone would've found us sooner, and I would've been away from those rebels sooner. So no one else would have to live through what I did." Alfred answered.

Oh. Now Alice felt a little bad to assume he had no reasons, but she was part of the reason, that made her heart skip.

"There's Matthew, bye Alice, see you tomorrow."

"Goodbye."

Alice watched him walk toward Matthew, and they talked as they walked away.


	8. VIII

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.**

This was the first year in a while Alfred hadn't attended her birthday party. He had a high fever and had been out for a few days already. She was turning fifteen, and this party was so boring.

"Happy birthday, Princess." Alice glanced behind her and was surprised to see the Americana queen walking up. She sipped on a glass of what looked like just water, although there was a whole list of drinks the adults could order and she couldn't.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. How are you?" Alice smiled.

"Oh, you know how it is, or I suppose you will soon enough." The taller woman sighed and they both looked out into the crowd. "I can't believe you are already fifteen. I can still remember when you were shorter than my knee. You've grown up into a lovely young woman."

Alice blushed and laughed a little uneasily. "Oh, thank you."

"You look quite bored by yourself over here."

"Parties aren't really my thing."

"No not really mine either, not anymore. I used to love parties." Alice didn't ask what that meant. "Is your friend not here?" The queen asked.

"Oh, no. He is sick."

"Hm, sickness is never fun. That's disappointing, I see him over here every year. He reminds me so much of _him_." The queen could barely finish the sentence without her voice breaking. She sighed deeply and took a long sip of her glass.

Alice just nodded, unsure what to say. Thankfully her mother called her over to meet some prince and she bid goodbye to the Americanan queen.

That was another predicament, Alice kept being forced to make conversation with these princes. They were all terrible. There was the one who was snooty and nine years older than her, the one who watched her nearly nonexistent chest creepily, or the one who was eight years younger than her.

The princess escaped her own birthday party at nine, complaining of a headache, but the only thing that was in her head was Alfred.


	9. IX

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.**

It was a week later and Alfred had to stay home again. He had tried to come to school but then his fever returned and he had to stay home again. Alice sat in the front of the class, staring a hole in the wall. The teacher droned on about something uninteresting.

The princess heard a few whispers behind her. A few girls who were somewhere between thirteen and fourteen were talking, and Alice could just barely hear what they said.

"...but my mum went, she said that it was a closed casket."

"They wouldn't just lie to the whole world!" Another girl whisper-argued.

"Then how come no one ever saw a body?"

"He was eight, would you want to see a dead eight year old?"

"Are you suggesting he's still alive?" A different one accused.

"Maybe."

"You're so dumb, there's no way the prince is still alive."

"It was nine years ago, he would've showed up by now!"

"Why would they still have a funeral if he was alive?"

Alice frowned, they were talking about the Americana prince. Of course there were rumors, every historical event or murder had them. Conspiracies, people who claim it's not what it seems. It was something impossible though, especially for this kind of thing. He was dead, she knew, she had even been there. Although, she didn't really remember it anymore.

The real matter at hand was that they didn't need to be spreading stupid rumors. If one of them actually got to Americana's royal family, they would be devastated again. Who knew what the king and queen would do if they thought there was a possibility of their son being alive?

After class, Alice cornered the girls and told them to stop talking about that, she didn't hear from them again. They were scared enough to shut up, probably hearing rumors and stories from the other kids of the mean princess.

Alfred returned to class the next day.


	10. X

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.**

Things were different.

At first, Alice had written it off as them getting older, maturing, something along those lines. Then it had been their age difference that was causing the problems. She didn't think it was that anymore.

Alice was getting busier with her studies and responsibilities as the future queen, so there was less free time to invite Alfred over. Yet when he was over it wasn't the same.

Conversations didn't flow as easily as they used to when they were children and nothing mattered. Alice found them in silence more often than not. She found it harder to say something, do something, do anything! She wouldn't have hesitated before. The princess blushed when their skin met or when he smiled. She was flustered when he made a comment about her dress or her hair or just something random.

Alfred nearly looked like a man now, perfectly messy golden hair and those lovely sky colored eyes and a head taller than her. He wasn't as lanky as he had been before, with broad shoulders and smiles. Alice could remember when they had been the same height, when all she had to worry about was the next spot she would hide in and the homework due the next day.

Maybe she felt her gaze lingering, when he was gazing outside, those eyes flickering from thing to thing, when he stretched, when he smiled that smile at her. Maybe her heart raced when he was close and the butterflies became a storm. Maybe she spent all her time, free or not, just wishing for things to be different.

Was he having the same problems she was? Was he lying away at night wishing for her company like it used to be but also wishing for more? Was he wishing the touches lasted longer, meant something more, weren't accidents?

Alice had done her research. She flipped through books and read symptoms. It wasn't like she could ask. If this was what she thought it was, then there was no way she could ask, even her mother. If anyone knew, he could be sent away.

Princesses weren't supposed to fall in love, not like this.

She was too cliche, falling in love with her best friend. Her mind was always swimming when he wasn't there, but empty when he was. Her words got lost on her tongue and her freckles hid behind blushes.

No one could know. If anyone even suspected, and her parents got ahold of the rumor, Alfred would be gone. Alice wasn't even engaged, but it would happen soon, she knew who her parents were talking with, what they were doing behind her back. No situation or engagement would be as perfect as the one they had with Americana, but there were other countries, ones who offered sons and benefits. The princess could control none of it.

If Alfred knew, she'd probably die of embarrassment. He'd think she was some stupid kid. Or maybe he would be hurt, or disgusted. Alice didn't know how he felt about her, she could hope and dream that he felt the same way, but in the end it didn't matter.

She would never know and no one else would either.


	11. XI

**Posting this kind of late, sorry but I'm sick and it's miserable. Enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.**

"Do you want to dance?" Alice nearly spit out her water when Alfred asked that. She looked at her friend with wide eyes.

"Pardon?" She basically squeaked.

The taller smiled a little bashfully and shrugged. "Just asking. Better than hanging out at the food table all night and chatting with these royal people I know you hate. It is your birthday after all, you should have a little fun."

"I don't hate all of them."

"Most." She couldn't disagree with that.

"All right, fine then, let's dance." The princess set her drink down on the nearby table, took his hand and led him to the middle of the dance floor. Soft music played in the background, a violin and piano maybe.

Alfred's hand settled on her waist, hers on his shoulder. She looked up at him, he began to hum along the the music, a small smile lingered on his face. There were other couples dancing, queens and kings. The younger heirs and princesses and princes were tripping over each other as they swayed. They weren't trying to be dignified, but no one expected them to be yet.

In that moment it didn't matter. She could only see and hear him. No one else mattered. She found it shockingly easy to forget about the rest of the world. All of them and their silly problems.

They swayed around the floor, not saying anything, but Alice knew they could both feel it. The song ended and his hand left her body, leaving her skin warm under her gown. "How come we've never done that before?" He asked softly.

"Usually we're busy being dumb somewhere, well, you were busy being dumb." Alice returned.

Alfred rolled his eyes and returned his hands. She opened her mouth to protest but he said. "Come on, it's not like we're doing anything else."

Small conversation drifted in between them, but they mostly focused on the music and soft movement. Alice's eyes looked over him, very rarely past him.

Sometimes their eye met, blue in the green, but before either could notice what they held they looked away. Maybe she saw him look over her more than necessary too, at some point she thought heard him whisper that she looked really beautiful, but she couldn't be sure.

This party passed faster than any other. Soon it was nearly eleven and even the tipsy royalty was retiring to their rooms and children were yawning and whining, tugging on their parents to take them home.

Alice could've spent every second of the rest of her life on that dance floor, in his arms, watching his eyes flicker across her like she was the only one who mattered. But of course she couldn't. They couldn't. There was a world they had to rejoin.

"I'll take you back to your room, if you want." Alfred suggested, they had broken apart. Her parents had already gone to bed, only a few guests remained as the castle staff began to clean up. Alice noticed the Americana queen watching them with an unreadable expression in the corner of the room.

"Sure." Alice answered. When Alice glanced back, the queen was gone.

They walked too close in the halls, closer than they had before. When they reached her bedroom door she hesitated. "Want to come in?"

"I never told you happy birthday." He answered, coming in without an answer. The princess scoffed and shut the door, leaning on it slightly, while he faced her with his back to the room.

"I've heard it enough tonight."

"Well now you've heard it again, happy birthday, Alice."

"Thank you."

It was quiet. Alice didn't want him to leave, but she didn't know what else to do.

"You look really pretty, by the way. It's a good color for you." Alfred said.

Her gown a cream color with pearls stitched on it. Her hair was in somewhat messy bun with pearl pins keeping it all together.

"It's too light, I look like a piece of paper." The princess added, although she could still feel her cheeks redden.

"No, you look gorgeous."

Alice blushed darker, standing without the door. "Whatever."

They became silent for a moment before Alfred spoke again, softer. "I might mess things up if I do this, but I have to. I don't think I can wonder about this anymore.

Before Alice could ask what she felt his hand on her cheek and his lips press against hers. It was so surreal, it took her a second to register what was happening. He was kissing her. Alfred was kissing her. She wasn't responding to him, so he started to pull away but the princess wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her, returning the kiss the best she could.

It wasn't like she had ever kissed anyone before. Even if she had, it wouldn't have been like this. This was heaven. This was right.

They finally pulled away from each other, but her arms remained around him and his found her waist and pulled her closer. His eyes were right there, so close. They looked like they held the sky in them.

"You kissed me." She breathed. There was no need to be any louder. It was stupid, but she felt like she should state the obvious.

"I'm in love with you." Alfred murmured. "I have been, for a while now."

The princess kissed him again, not as deep as before, but just as much meaning. Alice pulled away and whispered.

"I love you."


	12. XII

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.**

"Good morning!" Alice glanced behind her to see Alfred walking into the classroom where their lessons were held. They were the first ones there, like usual. He sat in his seat next to her and glanced around. The room was empty, and the hall was vacant. No one around.

He quickly kissed her cheek softly. "Happy one-month."The blond said a little quieter.

"Are we going to be that couple?" She rolled her eyes.

Alfred frowned in mock sadness. "Hey! A month is a long time!"

They both laughed, his hand found hers for a second before they heard footsteps down the hall. Both pulled away and faced forward. A boy walked in with his books and sat in the furthest middle row desk.

"A month from now you won't even be in this class anymore." Alice sighed, playing with a pen on her side of their table.

"I'm going to live at the castle though." The golden blond returned.

"I still don't know if the guard is a good idea." The princess said softly.

"It's one of the few jobs I can get now where I can stay close or at the castle." Alfred answered. "I'll be kept at the castle because I'm a 'noble'. Do you not think I'll make it?"

"No, I know you'll make it. You're tall and strong and exactly what they're looking for." The princess rested her head in her hand and looked at him.

"I'm more worried you'd get hurt. I don't want to lose you."

"You won't. The castle is super safe."

"There's been more rebel sightings, along the Americana border and even deeper in Britannia. Something like what happened ten years ago in Americana could easily happen here. It could've have been me who was killed, not the prince." Alice whispered. Technically she shouldn't be telling anyone this. She only knew because she was princess. There had been plenty of sightings. None had been full fledged fights, but there was multiple vandalisms, all the same: Times will change, you will all fall.

"That's even more of a reason. I'd get to protect you. You're even more of a reason to stay now."

Alice smiled slightly and sighed. There was no talking him out of this one.


	13. XIII

**Someone mentioned something about the aesthetic book cover I actually made them myself, it's kind of like a mini-celebration. Whenever I finish a story I make one with some of my favorite quotes from the story and I just thought I'd put it as the cover. You'll see all my later fics, like Cursed and When The Day Met The Night, have them, too. Thank you all for your support by the way, it means so much!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.**

"I miss you in class." She said softly. His arm wrapped around her waist hugged her closer.

"I miss you too." Alfred whispered, resting his head on hers.

They were curled up together on the floor, sitting against a side of her bed, so if someone opened the door without knocking it wasn't obvious how close they were. It was cold outside, the window they faced showed a white world. Frost framed the outside, trying to infiltrate her bedroom and steal her warmth. Her bed was nearly barren, all the pillows and blankets pulled to the floor to add to their little blanket kingdom.

"How is it? Training in the cold, I mean." Alice asked.

Alfred laughed a little. "Nothing like freezing my butt off." Alice curled up to him more, hugging the blanket closer too. "At least when I get done I can take a shower and come in the castle and be with you. None of the other trainees are allowed in the castle other than me."

"Well none of the other trainees are dating me, are they?"

"Nope, you're all mine."

Alice rolled her eyes and he pulled her onto his lap. She hugged his chest and rested her head against his neck. It was hard to not notice his increased muscle. He had begun training in June and now practically everyday Alfred ran miles, lifted weights, was taught how to shoot guns and sword fight and hand to hand combat.

In January he would officially be a guard and given patrols and duties during the day instead of training. He had a day off once a month and his days was done at 5, when most of her lessons had ended. It made it convenient for him to come visit for a while in the afternoons.

Alfred was given special access into the castle because of their friendship. A good majority of trainees and guards didn't even set foot in the castle even though they all trained in the fields and barracks. They lived in the barracks, still technically on castle grounds, toward the back of the palace's land. Certain back rooms gave her perfect view of the buildings. He said that they shared rooms with three other people, he had made some friends.

It had been nearly half a year since they had started dating. She guess this counted as dating, even though no one knew. That sounded strange. There should be another word for them. It had been almost six months and the princess didn't think anyone suspected a thing. Her parents rarely asked about Alfred, although they knew they were close friends, practically everyone knew that. They didn't question Alfred constantly being in her room, even gave him access to the castle when usually that would be forbidden. Alice didn't know if they truly thought they were just friends, or didn't care enough to notice their newfound closeness, or they were just doing that good of a job hiding it.

The princess sighed and pulled away from him. "I should get this report done, it's due Monday."

Alfred whined and tried to pull her closer again. "That's lame, you should stay right here."

"It's getting late, you should probably go back to your room anyway."

The older sighed and glanced behind her at the world outside her window. They were both silent before he quietly said a little too late. "I guess so."

"Hey." Alice moved forward and cupped his face in her hands. "You can still see me tomorrow."

"I know. I will."

She kissed him softly and he wrapped his arms around her, pressing her body against his. They only pulled apart for a second before he kissed her again. They continued for a few more minutes, her hands just lingering under his shirt for a second before they finally broke away. He wiggled free of the thick blankets and kissed her once more on the forehead. "Same time tomorrow?"

Alice tangled their fingers together. "I'll be here."

"I love you."

"I love you, too." She watched the door shut softly behind him.


	14. XIV

**I'm sure you can figure out which countries coordinate with these.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.**

Alice had never loved budget meetings this much before. Given the position of the room and where she sat, next to the wall of large windows, she had clear view of the back yards. One just happened to be where training occurred, including Alfred's training.

She could try to make him out against the others because of his hair and height. From what she could tell, he was doing well. They were sparring and she was pretty sure he had won the last few.

"I would also like to announce our trip to our neighboring allies." Alice jumped at her father's voice and looked back to him. He was standing, looking over the table of officials and nobles and her.

Her parents always had that look, the atmosphere, the air of someone important, someone great. They always looked regal, like how kings and queens should. There were still the rare moments when they looked a little more normal, but they could always fall back into the facade easily.

Even when she was young and would climb the stairs of their bedroom on the floor above her and wake them in the middle of the night because of a nightmare or something childish, when her father's ginger hair was sticking up all over the place and her mother couldn't keep her eyes open, they could look confident, perfect. Alice wondered if they always looked like that, or maybe it was something that happened when they became queen and king. She just knew whatever the look was, she hadn't inherited it.

"We'll be visiting Americana, Fraunce, Rushca, and Oceania in that order over the course of a month, beginning October 8th and returning November 12th." He said.

Alice raised her hand and he nodded to her. "When was this decided? I didn't know." A whole month she'd be gone. They can't just decide this without her.

"Your mother and I decided this. We think it would be a good idea for these rulers to meet you. It won't be long until you are queen and they will have to think of you when making decisions. You should get to know them as they should get to know you." The king answered.

"Do we not see them every year for my birthday?"

"You don't talk to them at your parties." That wasn't wrong, but those weren't _her_ parties and Alice didn't feel like arguing this anymore. She glanced out the window again and caught sight of a golden blond. On a trip she would go.


	15. XV

**I just didn't feel like updating this weekend sorry I'm lazy and this is late.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.**

When Alice got to her room for the night Alfred was already there, sitting cross legged on her bed.

"Please tell me you took a shower before you sat there."

Alfred nodded and smiled getting up and walking toward her. "How are you?" He asked while trapping her in his arms.

"Fine."

"You look tired."

"I am." The princess sighed and leaning against him. "There is a essay due tomorrow, I haven't started because I've been in boring meetings I don't even remember all day. There was another sighting by Whatire so everyone wants to talk about that and my father wants me to manage this month's trading imports and my mother wants me to be more involved in planning my birthday even though I keep telling her I don't even want a party!" She exclaimed into his shirt. "I'm so tired."

"I'm sorry." He whispered, hugging her closer and kissing her hair. They just stayed like that for a while. Alfred holding her like this was the best thing he could do. The outside world seemed so distant when he was this close, his warmth, the smell of coffee and vanilla and his shampoo, everything was perfect like this.

"You know you could take a nap." He finally said.

"No I couldn't I have a paper due tomorrow."

"You could take an hour nap and then I'll wake you up and you can do your essay when I leave." Alfred argued.

Honestly the idea sounded so wonderful and she was that tired, Alice just agreed without a fight. She changed into the clothes no one usually saw her in. When she was younger she slept in nightgowns but Alice didn't really like them anymore and now wore shorts and large undershirts to bed.

"You wake me up in an hour." Alice murmured, climbing under the covers. Alfred sat on top of them. She tugged on the blankets until he got underneath and she cuddled up to him. "If you fall asleep in here both my parents and I will kill you."

The blond just wrapped an arm around her and chuckled. "I'll wake you up, don't worry. I'm not going to sleep anytime soon."

"Good."

"Goodnight."

"'Night."

He started to hum softly after a few moments when she was in between awake and asleep. She was fairly sure she had asked him where the song was from, because she had never heard it.

All she remembered him say was"I don't know."


	16. XVI

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.**

"Only a year now, huh?" Alfred asked.

Alice glanced at him and shrugged. "Until I can be officially crowned, yes, but I doubt I will. And I still have a month until I turn seventeen."

The hallways seemed so blank. Busts of old people she might be related to and flowers that were replaced every three days. The walls were the same colors and the doors all looked the same. They hadn't seen anyone in a while.

"Am I still invited?"

"You always are. Although I'd rather be alone with you than at that stupid party." The princess said the last part quieter.

"Maybe one day."

"Maybe."

They both knew that wouldn't ever be true. It was only a matter of time before something happened. Eighteen not only meant she was able to be queen, it's when she should've been getting married. Of course she didn't have any engagement yet, but she knew it was coming. What would they do then, when she was married and queen and he was still there? Would they still sneak around and kiss in her room where no one else was? Would she have to let him go?

She knew it wasn't fair. Her fate was decided. Alice was going to be queen one day. She has known that her whole life. She would marry a prince or maybe a king but never him. She was tied to this castle. Alfred wasn't.

She was selfish. He could be meeting his future wife right now, anywhere else, instead of feeling like he had to be here with her. She couldn't just tell him to leave. She couldn't just break it off and never see him again.

She loved him. She had to spend every minute of her free time with him. Every time she saw him the hall, their fingers had to brush and their eyes had to meet and she had to have that second of bliss where it felt like it was only them. She had to have the secret kisses and hugs and whispers. She was in love with him and it was unfair and selfish but she couldn't help it.

Maybe it was stupid to believe in things like soulmates and true love. She didn't before that night nearly a year ago when he kissed her.

This was love and this was right. How could something like this ever be wrong?


	17. XVII

**Sorry this is late, I'm on vacation and not in school so I forgot what day it was. Merry late Christmas!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.**

"Alice, dear, we've decided on your new engagement." It took everything in her to not cry right there. Her mother was smiling with that look in her eyes that said she had no idea about what Alice was feeling.

"Engagement." Alice echoed. It wasn't a question, she knew exactly what that meant.

"You know, your husband." The queen clarified.

Her father continued for her. "This was one of the better countries to join with, of course if Americana and that had worked out it would have been better. His name is Francis Bonnefoy III, he'll be king in a year, just after you marry."

She nearly threw up at the mention of the name and who popped in her head. She knew him, he came to her birthday every year. "He is nine years older than me, Father, you can't be serious!" The princess exclaimed before she could help herself.

The last few years at the parties Francis would try to dance with her, sometimes he murmured dirty things or his hand slipped too low and his eyes wandered from her face. Francis was a pervert at the very least.

"I am. I know it isn't the ideal situation-"

"To hell with an ideal situation, I can't marry him!"

"Alice!"

"Mother! He is nine years older than me, he is a pervert and I will be nothing more than a trophy to him! He won't love me anymore than a teacup!"

"Not everything is about you!" Her father's voice scared her. Alice flushed but remained silent. "This isn't just about you, it is about the good of Britannia. You must do your responsibility as princess and future queen."

Alice scoffed and rubbed her face. "I need to think about this. Alone. Don't look for me." The princess left before say could say a thing to her.

She got the time from a maid she passed and knew exactly where Alfred was now. She had a copy of his schedule in her bedroom and had practically memorized it so she could accidentally meet him in the halls. Now he was in the fields, helping with a new set of trainees.

The princess got there quickly and lingered on the edge. She found him quickly, he looked a little sweaty and was talking to a fairly scrawny boy. Alice waited for him to notice her. A few of the other looked toward her and she didn't care. They were shocked and a few whispered to each other because they hadn't ever seen the princess before but none of it matter when those blue eyes finally looked at her.

He jogged toward her and his golden hair was messy. "What are you doing out here?"

"We need to talk."

"I can't just leave, I'm on duty."

"My parents announced my marriage." Alfred's expression changed from confused to unreadable.

"Thirty minutes; I'll meet you in your room." Alice nodded and he squeezed her hand softly before running back to the others.

The princess managed to hold herself together until she got to her room. Then she started to cry. It was soft and probably barely noticeable. She curled up on her bed and hugged herself and just cried until she heard a knock at the door. When she wiped her face and looked normal enough to open it she saw Alfred standing there with wet hair and new clothes.

"I managed to get excused early and I figured you didn't want to touch me while I was all hot and gross." He said softly, shutting the door behind him. Alice sniffed and nodded. "What happened? Who is it? Wait- Are you crying?"

The princes sniffed again and wiped her face. "Yeah. It's Fr-ancis Bonnefoy and I hate hi-m! He's gr-oss an-and ugly and- and almost a dec- ade older than m-me and he-s not you so I don't want to marry him- A-Alfred!" She broke into another fit of sobs and Alfred hugged her tightly.

"Come here, it's okay." He murmured into her hair. "Shh."

"N-No. It's not. I-I have to marry this wanker."

Alfred led her to her bed and he kicked off his shoes all while keeping an arm around her. "Here, come on." He hugged her close and Alice curled up next to him as closely as she could, sobbing and creating a damp spot on his new shirt. The older continued to whisper soft things and run his fingers through her hair and hold her close.

She couldn't really make herself think much past the fact that they were over and this was the beginning of the end. She would be forced to marry this disgusting man and give up her love and she would spend the rest of her life wishing things could've been different.

When she woke up she was still in her bedroom. Morning light was sifting through the curtains and she was still wearing a nice dress that she would never wear to bed. When she woke up she wasn't alone.

Alfred was snoring lightly, his arm still wrapped around her waist. His head had been resting on hers and she had been using his chest as a pillow. At first she thought it was a dream, or maybe everything else had been a dream. Her wrinkled dress and the stinging of her eyes told her it wasn't.

"Alfred?" She asked quietly, shaking him softly. He grunted something and hugged her closer. "Alfred. Wake up." What if someone walked in, a maid or her parents? What would they say?

"Hmm?" He finally opened his eyes and squinted at her. "What's wrong?" Alfred mumbled.

"You stayed."

"Mhm."

"You shouldn't have. What if someone had walked in?"

"I locked the door after you fell asleep."

"We could have been found."

"I couldn't just leave."

Alice pulled away and he let her go. The princess wiped her face and sighed. "I'm sorry, about all that. I shouldn't have made you stay."

"You didn't. I stayed because I love you and I wanted to."

Alice looked back to him. His hair was going in multiple directions and his clothes were wrinkled, his eyes were tired. He could've escaped and be on a morning patrol right now, but he stayed anyway. In another world they could be waking up together everyday. This morning could be just another day. But it wasn't.

"I'm sorry you had to see all of that. I think it's out of my system now." Alice took a few deep breaths anyway.

"It's okay." He crawled closer to her. "I love you. I want to be here for you whenever you need me to, no matter what." Alice nodded and he kissed her forehead. "Do you want to talk about it now?"

"Someone is probably expecting me somewhere, I don't know how much time you and I have." She wasn't just talking about this morning.

"Someone came and slid a piece of paper under your door this morning, by the way, I heard them but I fell back asleep." Alice hurried to the door, maybe she was hoping the letter said her engagement was off. It didn't, She was just excused from her lessons and classes today. Alice offered it to Alfred and he read it quickly.

"I guess we've got time now."

"You still have patrols and rounds to do."

"I told my roommate I was feeling sick and to tell the heads if I wasn't there. That's what got me out of last night." He answered.

Alice nodded and begun to play with her fingers. She sighed again and looked out the window. Her birthday was in a week, no doubt her engagement would be publicly announced then. "What do we do?"

"We both knew this couldn't last forever."

"I want it to."

"In a perfect world we'd be waking up together every morning and I'd never have to see you cry." Alfred breathed. The princess took his hand.

"There has to be some way, something I can do where I don't have to marry him." Alice said.

"You still would never marry me."

"I'm supposed to marry a prince."

"And I'm not a prince."

"No you aren't." Alice sighed. "I think I'd rather marry the dead eight year old than him."

Silence filled her bedroom.

"What if we just forget about it?"

Alfred smiled somberly. "We can't just ignore it."

"Why not? I love you, you love me, can't we just have that now? We can spend the evenings together and just forget the world exists. I don't need any of them when I have you." Alice asked, searching his face for an answer.

"It will happen eventually. What about then? When you're married, will we still be sneaking around halls and kissing in empty rooms?" He asked.

"We can't just stop."

"I know." Alfred huffed and lied down, staring at the ceiling. "We could."

"Could what?"

"Just forget. Just keep doing what we're doing. We can figure out something when the time comes. I can't say goodbye to you, I love you too much to do that."

"I love you, too." Their fingers met again. "I'll find a way to fix this."


	18. XVIII

**By the way, I just wanted to clarify, I don't think France is a pervert. This story is from Alice's perspective and she's mad that she has to marry him, so these assumptions of Francis are hers and not mine. I love France's character, but I often use him as the conflict in these stories since I ship usuk.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.**

Alice had spend nearly all her time trying to think of a way to get out of this engagement. Every train of thought led nowhere. Now here she was, dancing with the very man she despised.

As she had guessed the engagement had been announced at her birthday party and she had met Francis again. He wasn't much better in person. His hair was too long and he smelled like cheese. His eyes were blue but they were different than the blue eyes she loved. They seemed to constantly hold lust.

They drifted around the dance floor and Alice kept looking past him while she knew he wasn't looking past her. He wasn't much taller than her. "I hear you are coming to visit my country come October." He said in a thick Frauch accent.

"My family and I are visiting, yes."

"I have much to show you. It is a lovely place."

"I've never been before."

"Even better." Alice finally found Alfred in the crowd. He was standing against a wall, drinking something that she was fairly sure wasn't water. He kept making a face after he sipped. He was watching them with an irritated look. Maybe Alice was a little happy he was jealous, she knew he cared.

Francis talked between them and Alice watched the Americana queen walk up to Alfred. This was the first time she had ever seen the queen go anywhere near Alfred. Usually she only talked to Alice when he wasn't there or had walked off. They were across the room so Alice couldn't hear what they said, and she had never been good at reading lips. Alfred's eyes didn't leave her and Francis and the queen eventually saw them as well.

Alice noticed for a second how similar Alfred and the Americana queen looked. They had the same gold colored hair and her skin was nearly the same shade as his. The queen held herself in a neater version of how Alfred did. They nearly looked like they could related. Or maybe all Americanans looked like that. She hadn't met many.

They talked for a few minutes until Alfred suddenly looked different. He, for once, looked away from Alice and to the queen standing next to him. His expression was indecipherable. The queen didn't look like she had meant anything terrible with her unknown words, she only looked concerned. Alfred said something to her and set his drink on the nearby table. Alice watched him rush across the room and leave through the doors.

There was a break in the song and Alice made an excuse to escape the dance floor. She left through the doors and wandered the halls. This is where he had gone, where could he be now?

"Alfred?" She asked the empty hall. It was dim, she couldn't see much. The princess went from room to room eventually finding a sitting room she hadn't ever cared to be in before. Alfred was sitting on the couch that must be regularly dusted but rarely used. He had his head in his hands and was breathing fast and deeply.

"Alfred?" Alice repeated.

He jumped and looked at her with wide eyes. It reminded her of when they had first met that day. He had fallen into some state of being where he was scared and jumpy and felt like the shadows themselves would attack him. She hated seeing him like this, Alice knew he only got this way when things like the rebels and those missing years were brought up. What had the queen said to make him fall into this so easily?

"Sorry." He whispered, wiping his hands on his pants. "I didn't realize it was you."

"I know." Alice sat beside him and took his hand. "What's wrong? I saw you talking with the queen, then you left."

"I think I knew her." He said.

"Who? The queen?" The princess questioned, brushing her thumb over his knuckles.

Alfred swallowed and nodded, looking at her with those big eyes. "I think I used to know her."

"What make you say that?" Alice questioned.

"I remembered." Alice's eyes widened. He never talked about any of that before. There were the few times where he said something strange or he explained something he shouldn't know, but he never brought it up more than necessary and Alice knew to not push him.

"What did you remember?"

"We were just talking. We were talking about you and how you would be a great queen and suddenly I was somewhere else and she was there. Her hair was longer and she was taller than me. She was talking to me. I don't know what she was saying but she was talking to me." Alfred seemed shaky again, he was staring at the floor in front of them with a dazed, puzzled gaze.

"The queen had long hair before her son died. She cut it about a year after that." Alice looked to their fingers.

"I've been having nightmares. I had them a lot when I was younger and then they stopped and they've just started again, about three months ago. One of the best nights sleep I've had recently was the other day when I stayed with you." Alfred admitted.

"What are your nightmares about?" The princess asked. Why didn't you tell me, was what she wanted to ask.

"At first it was the rebels, when I used to be with them. Then it changed, the rebels, they're still there, but sometimes what happens in the dreams is stuff I don't remember. And I dream about other people. There's a little girl with purple eyes, I see her a lot. There's all these things I dream about but I don't know what's what and where everything belongs. I can't figure out which ones are real and which ones are memories and which ones are just dreams." Alfred took a deep breath and looked away. Alice was fairly sure he was about to cry.

"Why didn't you tell me before? About the nightmares?" Alice questioned softly.

"I didn't want you to worry."

Alice took his face and made him look at her. "I want to know. I love you, I want to be here for you whenever you need me to, no matter what." He smiled a little when she repeated his words.

"I just wish it made sense. I want to know who I supposed to be." Alfred whispered in the dark room with haunted eyes.


	19. XIX

**It's still technically the weekend right?**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.**

"I'd like everyone to find a partner to finish this assignment." Alice dreaded those words. Usually it would be her and Alfred as partners, but he wasn't in classes anymore. She glanced around and saw a younger girl at the table behind her. Apparently she was the odd one out of her friends today. She seemed a little familiar.

"Want to be partners?" The girl looked at her in shock before nodding and taking the seat that previously was Alfred's. No one else was allowed to sit in that seat anymore.

They worked through the paper while Alice tried to figure out what she had done to her. They all blended together. The girl was very quiet and it seemed more than that she just being afraid of offending the princess.

In her younger years, Alice had offended nearly the whole class individually, but she had grown out of that before she met Alfred. Finally, she placed the girl. She had been the one spreading rumors about the dead prince and Alice had set her straight. Of course that had been years ago, but that was only time Alice could remember ever talking to her.

Now as they quietly filled in their answers, Alice felt a little more interested in those rumors.

"Were the one I talked to, a while back, about the prince of Americana?" Alice asked.

The girl looked at her with wide eyes and nodded slowly. "I'm sorry about that, Your Highness. It was just a stupid rumor, I didn't mean anything by it, I promise. I stopped talking about him when you told us to."

Alice nodded and glanced around the room. "Do you really think he could be alive out there, somewhere?"

"I have no idea." She hesitated before continuing. "It's possible. There's evidence, little details that say he could be alive."

"Like what?"

"No one ever saw his body. They say that the king and queen of Americana did, but no one else and the funeral was apparently a closed casket. The rebels that attacked the castle, they're obviously bigger than everyone thought. They weren't all killed after the attack. Some got away, he could've been taken somewhere with them or maybe he was just killed somewhere else along the line. Or maybe I'm just seeing nothing between the lines. I don't know, Your Highness, it's just a rumor." They were told to go back to their own tables and Alice thanked the girl and apologized for telling her off then.

If the prince was alive somewhere, and managed to be found and returned to his rightful home, that would mean he would be the rightful heir to Americana's throne. Even though he hadn't been there the last eleven years, he was the rightful king and he, as the oldest child, got the crown before Madeline would. He would be nineteen, as his birthday has just passed last month.

If he was alive and became king, then she would have a previous arrangement that had to be fulfilled. The first one mattered more, didn't it?

The benefits of her marrying Prince Alfred was much better than Prince Francis anyway. It would make more sense. Her parents would have to go for it. If she could get this engagement off, then maybe she could figure a way to end up with the right Alfred, her Alfred. Maybe the prince was already dating someone wherever he was now, and would be fine if they just had a political marriage where they could be with other people on the side. This could be the key to saving the rest of her life.

To get this to work, to do this, she had to figure out if the prince was even alive, who he was and where he was now. She'd have to find a dead prince alive.


	20. XX

**Chapter twenty yay, only twenty more to go!**

 **Hey I just posted a new USxFem!UK story if anyone wants to go read it.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.**

"I'm going to miss you."

"And I won't?"

Alfred kissed her and smiled. "But you get to go see foreign countries and I'm stuck here. I'll spend every minute missing you and you'll have fun without me."

"I'd rather stay here with you." Alice stood on her toes to kiss him. She was leaving tomorrow for Americana, and Alfred sadly wasn't put on the list of guards going with them. It would be a whole month until she saw him again.

"I better be going." He said, it was fairly late. He couldn't show up at the barracks too late or someone might ask questions. Alice just wished she could spend the whole night with him. "I love you, be safe."

"I will, I love you, too." Alice wrapped her arms around his neck and their lips met once again. She didn't think she'd ever get over kissing him. They broke apart after a minute or so and Alice took in his face, trying to memorize it for the coming month.

His skin was tanned from outdoor patrols, although it had always been darker than her own. He had a strong jaw and a soft smile. His hair was a little messy like it always was, reflecting the artificial light of her bedroom. There was that one piece that always stood up, sometimes she tried to fix it but the next time she looked at him it was always sticking up again. His eyes were the only thing Alice knew she would never forget. All she had to do was look to the sky and there they were.

"Alice, I have to go." He whispered.

"I know." She breathed. "I just love you."

"I love you more than anything."


	21. XXI

Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.

Americana was a beautiful country.

Alice had only visited a handful of times, but it always shocked her how pretty it was. Even in autumn, it was still warmer than Britannia. The leaves were turning red and orange, the trees nearly looked made of flames.

Americana was much larger as well, more than double the size of Britannia. The northern parts got colder and the south by the ocean was warm throughout nearly all the months.

The trip from Britannia's capital to Americana's took a day long flight. Alice spent most of the time catching up on studies she would miss or reading. When they arrived it was late and only the king was still awake to greet them.

The Americana king was a stoic man. Her mother said he hadn't always been like that, but the death of his son had changed him. It had changed them all. Alice was too young to remember what the king had been like before. He was also tall and built. His eyes were an icy blue and he had light blond hair.

Although, Alice wasn't just excited to visit Americana for the weather. Americana was where she could research the prince. If there was anywhere she could find the truth about what happened that night so many years ago, it was here.


	22. XXII

**Maybe some plot?**

 **So what would you guys think if I started a story that was just a bunch of USxNyoUK one-shots? Because I might do that after I finish this.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia**

"Oh! How are you, Princess?" The Americana queen asked. Alice had been turning a corner at the same time the queen was and nearly ran into her. She was holding a small bunch flowers. Alice recognized pink carnations, daisies, and lilacs among others she didn't know.

Alice smiled. "Oh, fine, just taking a break from everything. Someone told me I could go out in the gardens." She lied. The princess had really been looking around for somewhere she could research the prince.

They had been in meetings and meals with the Americanan royal family all morning and the last few days. Madeline was supposed to give her a tour of the castle after her lessons, so Alice had some free time finally. Now she had lost that time.

"I just happened to be going to the gardens. I'll walk there with you."

"Oh, no, it's alright, I don't want to impose. I'm sure I have work to do somewhere." Alice returned.

She laughed. "Doesn't everyone? Take a break, dear, you aren't even queen yet. Come on."

That was how Alice found herself standing in front of a grave.

To be fair, it was a very nice grave, and she should have seen it coming. It wasn't like queens usually just carried around flowers, she had to be delivering it somewhere.

 _Prince Alfred F. Jones of Americana_

 _Forever an auspicious prince and a loved son._

Alice felt quite awkward, looking practically anywhere than the grieving mother and her son's grave. The princess glanced up at the sky and was instantly reminded of her own Alfred. Was he looking at the same sky now, thinking of her?

"Things would've been so different." The queen sighed, taking a seat on the concrete bench several feet away and Alice followed.

"Yes, they would have." Alice agreed. She watched the breeze ruffle the flowers on their new place of concrete.

The blond looked around the area. The gardens were quite pretty. There was the fading bloom of flowers, the trees starting to shed their flames. The grave itself was a tall stone that read his name and a large concrete slab, about the length of a child. There were flowers all around it except in the front where people could stand. There were the flowers the queen had just placed and other photos and papers set toward the end of the concrete slab. Alice was trying to make out the words on a note when the queen spoke again.

"Sometimes, I think he's still alive out there." This got Alice's full attention.

"What do you mean?" The princess questioned.

She sighed and looked around, there wasn't anyone else outside. "They told me that my son isn't buried in that grave. I suppose it's more of a memorial than a grave now."

Alice's eyes widened and she looked to the queen. "They never found his body?"

"No. I thought they did, but my husband recently told me no one ever did." The queen answered.

"Why did he lie?"

"I don't know if it really was a lie. That day, when we couldn't find him, we were both so worried and panicked. The guards said they found a young boy's body and we assumed he had died. We had thought it was Alfred. I could never bear to see him, I didn't want to see him like that. A parent should never outlive her child." A moment of shaky silence passed before she continued again.

"Apparently that child wasn't Alfred. My husband knew, but he never told me because Alfred still hadn't been found. He thought that if he wasn't found by then, he was dead somewhere, even if he hadn't seen the proof. He thought by telling me it would only build up my hope. So that casket is empty. We had a funeral for an empty casket." She explained.

"Could he still be alive?" Alice asked.

"Maybe. Probably not. If he was alive, shouldn't he have come home by now?"

"Maybe he just doesn't know."

"Maybe."

Alice remained quiet. This was proof. There was some truth to that rumor. This was a possibility.

"I see him everywhere." The queen breathed, catching Alice's attention again.

"Every young man I see, they all seem like Alfred to me. I like to think he's out there somewhere, and as soon as I saw him again I'd know. I would know! I'd know exactly who he was. But honestly I would never know. He could be in this castle right now and I could see him everyday and I wouldn't know." She sighed. Alice saw a tear escape.

"He could be miles away, in a different country." The princess suggested softly. Or not alive at all and simply buried or lost somewhere else.

"Or he could be right under our noses."


	23. XXIII

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.**

"Your castle is quite lovely, Madeline." The golden blond glanced at her and smiled.

"Thanks, you're lucky to have a good guide, I know this place like the back of my hand." The younger answered. Alice couldn't say the same about her own castle. There were still rooms, especially those on the lower floors, that she wasn't sure what their use was.

"So this floor is the informational floor." Madeline said as they reached the third floor.

"Why is it informative?"

"Because this is where all the libraries, studies, and data rooms. We've got a whole room just full of maps, mostly of Americana. There's the big library, that one is the children's library, that's the map room..." The younger princess continued to point at each door and say which held what. They were toward the end of the hall when Alice realized she had skipped a door.

"Madeline, what's in there?"The taller princess pointed to the forgotten door.

"Oh, that's the dead royalty room, every one who was previously part of the royal family and is now dead has a picture in there." She answered, nonchalantly.

Alice glanced back at the door. "Isn't your brother in there?"

"Yes. Do you want to see?"

"Am I allowed?"

"Of course, come on."

The two princesses walked inside, the door creaked, announcing their arrival. The room was fairly large, probably meant to be a bedroom except for the partial walls dividing the room into aisles. The walls held paintings of earlier royalty and photos of older. The people on the walls all smiled, some times holding scepters or their partner's hands.

Alice noticed a few similarities to Madeline and the people in the photos. Sometimes she saw they had the same nose, or an old king had the same nearly violet shade of blue eyes. Royal families were the rare type of family where someone could trace back their lineage for generations, seeing which aspect came from which great grandparent. Alice knew she got her freckles from her great great great grandmother and her eyes had been in her father's family for nearly two hundred years.

The room was dark as well, Madeline didn't turn on the lights when they entered, saying something about how she didn't like the lights on in this room. There were very few children on the walls. Royal children didn't die often.

The prince's photo was at the back of the room. There was a small bronze sign below the photo that said 'Alfred F. Jones' and his birth and death days.

The photo was large, hanging well above her head. Alice had to step back to look at the full photo.

He looked happy, a large smile was on his face. He has gold colored hair that was messy, along with once piece that stuck up. He was dressed in a simple white button down shirt and dark navy slacks. Although Alice didn't see any of this.

His eyes. He had blue eyes, just like the sky. They were bright and held so much. Alice knew those eyes.

"Alfred..."


	24. XXIV

**Guys we've got 16 more 'chapters' of course she can't know for sure yet. I'm super dragging this out I'm sorry.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.**

"Alfred!" The princess bolted into his arms in the safe privacy of her bedroom. The taller lifted her up so their height difference wasn't so great and swirled her around. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him. He stopped turning, but still held her up.

"How was your trip?" He asked softly, noses brushing in their closeness. Alice brushed through his bangs. She noticed the scar they hid. Where had that come from? She had never asked before.

"Terrible, you weren't there." Alice whispered back. There was no need to be any louder, the only person who mattered was right there.

"Sorry." He closed the distance between them and hugged her tighter. Eventually they broke apart and she remembered the several suitcases she still had to unpack. Alice refused to let the maids do it, they didn't know where anything went.

"So tell me all about it! How was Americana?" Alfred plopped cross-legged on her bed while Alice returned her things back to their homes. She has told she had the day off to unpack and rest, but she hadn't expected to see Alfred there. He must have gotten out of patrols today. She definitely wouldn't rest while he was there.

The princess set a book on a shelf, watching the cover too long and debating on an answer. "Strange. I think I may have learned some things while there."

"Like what?"

You might be a dead prince. "Stuff."

"Hm."

She could hear the disappointment in her vagueness, but it wasn't like she could tell him. Not yet. What was she even supposed to say? He'd laugh her off before she could even say anything about the photo.

"I'd rather hear about you, what did you do while I wasn't here? Enjoy your evenings?" Alice asked, looked back toward him.

Alfred scoffed. "No, I spent practically every second worrying about you! I don't like when you're far away, I can't make sure you're okay. I was worried my roommates would pick on it."

The princess smiled and walked over to him, abandoning a stack of novels. "You shouldn't worry about me, practically the whole castle is here to keep me safe." She took his hand.

"It's not like it's never happened before." He murmured, brushing his thumb across her knuckles. It had happened before, the real question wasn't would it happen again, more what happened that first time? What really happened that night in Americana?

"Have you had anymore nightmares?"

"They're every night. I'm worried I'll fall behind in my duties and someone will notice. What if I can't stay here anymore?" Alfred asked, watching their hands.

"That won't happen, I'll order them to let you stay if it does. You can't help them." Alice answered.

"Maybe if I could remember." That would solve a lot of problems.

"You can't help that either."

"I guess."

Alice took his face in her hands and made him look up toward her. "Hey, none of this is your fault." She pressed a kiss to his lips and felt him smile. "I'm sure it will all come back eventually."

"Maybe."

The princess looked over his face for a second before letting go. He looked so much like the dead boy in that photo.


	25. XXV

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.**

Alice turned the page and sighed. Alfred was asleep next to her, dozing on her shoulder. She didn't have the heart to wake him up, she knew he wasn't getting enough sleep, not for the job he did at least. The princess debated on suggesting a different job for him to take, although given his noble status he really didn't need a job anyway.

The Britannian glanced back to the page. It showed a photo of an old Americanan royal family she didn't recognize. The book was an Americanan history book. She had hoped in reading it around Alfred, it would spark something. He fell asleep before anything could happen, but she couldn't really blame him.

The princess sighed and shut the book, as it was of no interest to her. She was careful to not move too much so he wouldn't wake, but she began to brush her fingers through his soft hair.

Was it really possible it was him? Was a dead prince sleeping on her shoulder? No.

It was impossible, absolutely impossible. There was no way her Alfred could be that Alfred. These were just coincidences. Who knew, there could be another Alice out there that looked like her. She could be dead.

She shouldn't be debating about this, because it was crazy. Suggesting to the Americana royal family, or even her own parents would be stupid. They'd laugh at her. Maybe she would break their family again, this time with false hope.

If the prince was out there, alive, then there was an incredibly small chance he could be right here. How could he have found his way to her, become best friends, fell in love? The whole thing was preposterous. The prince was probably just dead somewhere else, maybe in a little unknown graveyard in a little unknown village.

There were more important things to figure out at the time. When she wasn't engaged to a pervert, she could revisit the idea. Now she had to figure out a way to get out of her engagement. Alfred's real identity could wait.


	26. XXVI

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.**

"He was thinking sometime in June, when the weather is hot."

"That sounds nice."

"Really?" The princess looked up at Alfred in surprise.

The guard smiled. "No."

Alice smiled and glanced back at the hall in front of them. "I know, I wanted to tell him that was stupid, we'd all be sweating buckets, but my mother keeps telling me to not be controlling. It's his wedding too, apparently."

"When would you want to get married?" Alfred asked.

"Never."

He rolled his eyes. "I meant just in general, if you could marry whoever you wanted, when would you want to?"

Alice kept walking quietly, glancing at the other wall on her right. "Spring maybe, May. When it's stopped rained for a little while."

"That actually sounds nice." Alice nodded, quietly lost in a daydream.

It was a warm spring day, there were flowers just blooming, as if they only decided to open up for this occasion. She was wearing a white dress with maybe some gold or silver designs that fell to the floor around her. It was longer and nicer than anything she'd ever really worn before, perfect and specially made for this occasion. She was holding flowers as well, roses, those were her favorite. He liked those, too. They were white and pink to match. They were outside, the sun shining down on their skin and the buds turning to watch her walk down an aisle and when she looked to the end, there was Alfred. He was dressed in a nice suit he would complain about being stiff and stuffy later when they were alone. Or maybe he would say that when they were dancing together after this was all over. Maybe he would say that and she would roll her eyes and he would kiss her, right there, in front of everyone. No one would even care.

"Where are we going again?" Alfred asked, reminding her of the reality. The hallway was empty and they had walked quite a while. Alice sighed softly.

"The library. I have some research to do."

"For what, a project?"

"Sure."

He glanced down the hall when they stopped at the library's door. "I better get back to my rounds."

"Alright."

"See you later."

"Bye."

His fingers brushed against hers for a split second before he pulled away and walked down the hallway.

Alice open the door and was happy to find the room empty, minus the tables and chairs and walls of books taller than her. The princess walked along the shelves, eyes flickering over the titles. She finally found a book that served her needs.

 _'The Political and Family Alliances of Britannia'_


	27. XXVII

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.**

"How much of your childhood do you remember?" Alice asked. Alfred glanced back to her, but she didn't look up from her paperwork. Recently more of her work has been kingdom related rather than school related.

"Why do you ask?"

"Curious."

"Nothing specific." He answered. There was a moment of silence here she didn't think he was going to continue. "There's just these little scenes that play over and over, in my head, in my dreams. Sometimes there's new little things, like a new thing sitting on a table I didn't notice before. I don't know if I made them up or if they're real. I don't know when or where they belong in my life, if they do at all." Alfred finished, frowning softly. He didn't sound like he was talking to her anymore, it was more like he was thinking aloud and she was just there to hear it.

"What exactly though?"

Alfred frowned more and looked at her. "Why does it matter?"

"I'm curious and I worry. About you."

They were both silent for a long minute. "There's the one time, I remember pretty clearly, I'm in a big room and there was that little girl there, she's there a lot. I can't figure out who she is though, but she's really young and she has purple eyes, they're strange. We're sitting on the floor and all these papers and pictures were spread out all around us." The older returned.

Alice watched his expression carefully. "And?"

"That's it."

"You don't know what was in the pictures?"

"I can't remember that much."

Alice nodded and wrote a few more words before looking back up. "Do you have any idea where your family could be?"

"They're probably dead. I think they are." Before she could respond, she heard him whisper. "I hope they are."

The princess frowned and propped her head up. "What makes you say that?"

"I spent five years with those rebels. I was shot and hit and yelled at, all the time. No one looked for me, nobody cared about me. Never once did someone see our group and me and say something. They never asked me who I was or where my parents were. I couldn't have told them, but maybe they would have helped me at least. I have to think they're dead because if they aren't then that means they didn't care enough to try and find me. Maybe they were killed when I was kidnapped, maybe they really don't care, I have no idea where they are or who they are. Dead or alive." Alfred said, somewhat sternly.

She wanted to say something reassuring. Anything that could make him feel like his parents did love him, maybe they still did, where ever they were. But she couldn't fit the words together. She didn't want lie.

Alice reached over for his hand and he didn't respond, just looked out the window to the snowy world outside. Silence with glassy eyes.


	28. XXVIII

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.**

"What do you think about this one?" The seamstress asked, passing some papers to Alice. The princess sighed as she glanced over the design. It was a long and skinny white dress, lacy flowers were drawn at the waist.

"I don't like it." Alice returned, carelessly handing it back to the older seamstress wearing an exasperated expression

She heard her mother sigh behind her. The princess turned around as the seamstress went to find a new design to show her.

"What?"

"Your wedding is in four months, they have to start on a dress, but you just have to be difficult and keep shooting all their designs down. Those poor women just want to serve their princess." The queen returned, a hand on her forehead. She rubbed patterns in her face as she continued. "You can't put off the wedding by doing something like this."

"I don't like any of the designs." The blond lied. She actually had like a few of the first ones, but she refused to wear any of those at a wedding where she wasn't marrying Alfred. Her dreams showed her in dresses like those when she was at their wedding, she wouldn't wear them anywhere else.

"Oh, I'm sure you don't." Her mother returned sarcastically. "You have to pick one eventually."

"I will when I find one I like." Alice retorted, crossing her arms and glaring at the wall rather than the queen.

The two were quiet until her mother softly said. "Alice, dear, I know you're not excited about this wedding, but that doesn't stop it from happening."

"Not excited about it is an understatement." The princess scoffed.

Silence fell on them again. All she could hear was the shuffling of the seamstress in the next room.

"What if Prince Alfred was alive?" Alice asked suddenly, just barely louder than a whisper, but she knew her mother had heard her.

"What if he was?" The queen returned nonchalantly.

"What would happen?"

"Well, we would be sitting here waiting for you to pick a dress for that wedding too." Her mother smiled.

"That's not what I mean. What if, right now, after we've all thought he was dead for eleven, twelve years, he just showed up again at Americana's castle? What would happen then? Would I marry him?" Alice asked, looking over at the queen.

"It would depend."

"On?"

"Why he disappeared, who he was now, whether he would still be next in line for the throne, what his parents wanted to do. It would depend on a lot of factors." The older woman returned.

"But just guess. If he showed up again, realistically, do you think I would marry him instead of Francis?"

"The opportunities of joining with Americana are much greater than joining with Fraunce. That's why you were originally engaged to him rather than Francis. I think it would be possible for you to marry Alfred." The queen answered. "But, dear, he's dead. There isn't much use in dreaming up ghosts."

"I know. I was just curious."


	29. XXIX

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.**

Her hands were in his hair and his arms were around her waist. It couldn't get better than this, as Alfred began to kiss along her jaw.

The princess sighed softly, brushing her fingers though the gold and feeling his lips against her skin. His hands just barely traveled under her nightshirt, hugging her closer to him. She wished he wasn't so nice.

They both agreed they couldn't go any farther than this, kisses that lingered and just wandering hands. It made sense. They could risk someone seeing them, or if she got pregnant. She couldn't hide a child from her parents.

It was moments like this when she didn't care about their previous decision. When they got a little out of hand and he fell back on her bed with her on top of him, her long hair tickling his skin and the kisses not stopping until they were forced apart by rules and expectations and royal blood.

When, for a split second, she met those eyes that said I love you, over and over until she would kiss him again. When she knew that no one else would ever look at her like that. No one else would love her as much as Alfred did.

Maybe if they went all way and something happened they could stay together. It was a long shot, but just maybe.

She was so desperate for some way out of her engagement she might even suggest it in the dark one night. Alfred would say no, just like he was supposed to.

"Alice." He murmured, stopping when her lips brushed against his. "Hey, we gotta stop."

She furrowed her eyebrows and pulled away, her arms still wrapped around him and his her. Their faces were close, noses just almost touching, sharing the same air. "Why?" The same question they already knew the answer to.

"You know why." The older pressed a soft kiss to her nose. "It's late, I need to get back to my room." An excuse he'd use instead of the truth. They both hated the truth.

"I'd rather you stay here with me."

"I'd rather that too, but that's not how it works."

"Why can't it?" She scoffed then sighed, looking away. They both knew why. Someone was getting married in a few months.

"Alice." She looked back to him. "No matter what happens, I'll always love you."

"I love you, too." Instead of getting up and letting him go she hugged him, pressing her face into the crook of his neck and hearing him sigh softly. A second later he was holding her closer and kissing her hair.

"I love you, too." The princess repeated.


	30. XXX

**It's all downhill from here!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.**

"...King Arthur was engaged to Queen Francine of Fraunce, but the Fraunch Revolution resulted in her and her families' death when she was just twenty-two years old, a year after their marriage and before they could produce an heir to throne. King Arthur later married Amelia Airenstein of the Airenstein noble family and had three children, the next king, King Peter Kirkland, Prince Jett Kirkland, and Princess Diana Kirkland..." Alice propped up her head and turned the page with a sigh. Her great, great, great, great, great grandfather Arthur had his wife killed at a young age too. History is due to repeat itself apparently.

Alice turned away from the book and rubbed her face. She glanced out the window. It was nice outside, although the clouds said there would be rain later. The next page didn't tell her much, just that her great, great, great, great grandfather, Peter, was the reason Britannia was in such a good alliance with Oceania. Surprise, he got married.

Months of reading these old history books, and she had found absolutely nothing helpful. They said everything about her dead, however great, grandparents, but nothing about how to get out of an arranged marriage. It hadn't ever happened before, or if it did, there wasn't a record. Every free minute where she wasn't in lessons, classes, meetings or with Alfred gone to waste. There was nothing even here.

What was she to do now?

She would see Francis in a week at her birthday, when she turned eighteen and could officially take the crown and be married. It was only two months of freedom after that. What then?

Could she really leave Alfred to go marry that frog? Would she be whisked away to Fraunce where she would do nothing more than hang off Francis's arm? Could they continue their relationship behind closed doors? It became an affair then. They had had close calls before, it was only a matter of time before someone slipped up or someone got curious. She didn't want to go down in these stupid history books as Queen Alice, the queen who had an affair. Alice leaned back in her chair and stared at the ceiling. There had to be some way to change her seemingly unavoidable fate.

There was a scream in the silence, making Alice look to the closed doors.

There was a scream outside. The princess pushed away from the table and walked carefully over to the doors. When she pressed her ear to the door she heard nothing. No footsteps, no breathing, no gunshots or bullets hitting the floor. Maybe that hadn't been a scream, someone moving a table or shelf or a dish breaking. Alice walked back to her seat and sat down. Ignorance was bliss.

No one else knew she was there, well, other than Alfred, who had walked over with her while going to his next station. She couldn't tell her parents where she was, of course, or they would ask why, or walk in on her trying to find a way out of her engagement.

She read through another few pages and suddenly the door opened. The princess jumped and shut the book, looking up to see Alfred. He looked relieved when he saw her. "You're okay." He sighed in relief, shutting the door quickly behind him and crossing the room to where she stood.

"Of course I am, why wouldn't I?" Alfred hugged her without an answer, resting his chin on her head. Alice hugged him back, even though anyone could walk in now. She could hear his heart beating fast. "Alfred? What happened?"

"You were right. It could've happened anywhere." He whispered, hugging her tightly.

"What are talking about?" Alice asked.

"There's rebels in the castle."

That's when she heard the first gunshot.


	31. XXXI

**I basically rewrote the whole end of the story because of a guest's review.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.**

"What?!" The princess exclaimed, searching Alfred's face for any lie. But there wasn't one, all his face showed was fear. Alice took a deep breath, anxiety beginning to over take her. Despite her panic, Alfred was in a much worse state.

He paced across the floor, twisting his fingers together. "I don't know how they got in, but I just started hearing gunshots and people screaming and I saw them and I knew I had to come get you and there were so much blood-"

Alice took his hands and caused him to stop both his pacing and rambling. "Hey, It's okay, we'll figure something out." She smiled softly, hoping her own fear didn't show through.

Alfred's eyes were wide as he swallowed. "I don't know if I can do this." The guard whispered.

"Well, we can just stay here an-"

"No." Alfred cut her off. "No, I've got to take you to the basements. No, I can do this."

There was an echoing gunshot, not far enough. They both flinched at the noise. "What about you?" Alice asked.

"If you're okay, then I will be to. Come on, we gotta move." Alfred took her hand and pulled out his gun. A new determination overtook him, but that original fear still showed through.

He was still breathing slowly and deeply as they rushed down the halls, eyes flickering across every thing they passed. Alfred gripped her hand so tightly it nearly hurt, but Alice knew it was more of a comfort to him than actually keeping her close. The castle seemed lacking of people.

Suddenly he stopped around a corner and wrapped a protective arm around her, even if Alice could feel him nearly shaking. She wasn't sure what he had stopped for until she looked down and saw a man lying on the floor. He was wearing a Britannian guard uniform. There was a hole in his forehead and scarlet framed him like a sun. Alice gasped and held onto Alfred, nearly stumbling back. The man's eyes stared at the ceiling, seeing nothing.

As they got closer to the first floor, there was echoing gunshots and screams down the hallways. When they reached the second floor they started moving faster as the bodies got more frequent and the echos got louder.

Tables were knocked over and vases were smashed. They ran over dead bodies and crushed flowers and ripped photos and paintings of people she was probably related to that used to haunt her. Any rebel they saw Alfred shot at, he seemed to have good aim, because they all dropped after one or two shots. Although, the princess saw him pale with every shot. The first floor was a real battleground and they were thrown into it.

Alfred kept pulling her down the halls, through the rooms while they were shot at and bodies dropped all around. Her head was pounding. Rebels were crying their phrase they died for, soldiers were screaming for help or just to leave, the guns wouldn't stop. These guards were dying for her. Alfred held onto her hand the whole time, until they got near the stairs to the below ground floors and the basement. This was the true chaos.

Men were shooting all around and Alice wasn't sure who was really shooting at who, they didn't seem to know either. They just looked like they were shooting into the crowd, hoping they hit an enemy rather than a friend. Alfred had stopped when they couldn't get through safely and started to shoot the ones dressed in grungy, ripped clothes. The dirty ones who smiled with broken teeth when a body dropped and screamed that times will change and that we will all fall.

The whole time Alfred kept her close, his hand holding hers tightly and trying to find some opening, any opening in the war being waged. Alice looked from person to person, trying to find a way out, feeling too useless and terrified that she might receive the same fate as her first fiancé.

There was gasp beside her and Alice glanced over suddenly as Alfred stumbled, falling to the ground. "Alfred!" She exclaimed, searching him for a wound. Her hand brushed against his thigh and she noticed a growing scarlet stain. Alice wiped his blood on her skirt. "Don't worry, it'll be alright!" She lied.

The chaos of the room seemed far away, gunshots over her head and bodies falling on all sides. The guard hissed in pain and Alice struggled to figure out some way to help him. There was not a way out. At least, not one that didn't end with a bullet through her head. "Alice-" Alfred grunted.

The princess glanced back at him in confusion until she realized why he said her name. A hand grabbed her shoulder, shoving her backwards. Alice couldn't see who it was, screaming as she was ripped away from Alfred.

They gripped her arm so tightly she was sure there would be bruises. Alice struggled in their grasp but froze as a gun went off, just above her head. The ceiling fell on her head. The gunfire seemed to cease and nearly everyone was looking at her, rebels and guards alike. Horror and happiness was the only emotions she saw in their eyes.

"Any more moves and I'll kill her."


	32. XXXII

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.**

The world was silent as those words left the woman's mouth. She still had a good grip on Alice and even if she managed to get free, she wouldn't get far before someone shot her. While she did have the guards all around, how many would really risk their live for hers? What made her life more valuable than theirs? They all stood still anyway, frozen as eyes watched her, either with pity or hatred.

The woman was surprised strong and stunk of gunpowder and dirt. "So, dear princess," She said it mockingly, in an Americanan accent. "Where are your parents?"

Was that what they were here for? Alice didn't know, their motives were so confusing, Alice couldn't figure out what the rebels wanted anymore. "I don't know." The blond lied. She didn't know for sure, but she guessed they were in the basement, locked up and waiting for someone to say that their daughter was dead or alive.

She met Alfred's eyes, still sitting on the floor with a gun to his head. All the guards had been ordered to put down their guns and they were surrounded. He watched her somberly, but fury toward the rebel woman. Alice had yet to see her face, she didn't know if she wanted to.

"Liar." The woman hissed in her ear and shook her violently. "Tell me where they are and maybe I'll kill you last."

"I. Don't. Know." Alice answered through gritted teeth. The princess could feel herself shaking, hopefully she didn't sound as scared. They wouldn't hesitate to kill her. Any moment could be her last. Tears threatened to fall down her cheeks. But she was princess and maybe she'd live to be queen and she couldn't go down crying. It was a small victory in an otherwise lost war.

The woman scoffed. "You're not buying them time, we'll tear this castle apart-"

"Sarah!"

The woman, Sarah, huffed and glared behind her at whoever called her name. "What?!"

"Him!" Both the rebel and Alice turned toward Alfred, now staring at them with wide eyes. "He looks like-"

The woman removed her gun from Alice's head and pointed the gun at Alfred, still clutching his thigh. She still didn't release her hold on the princess. "Who are you?"

"W-What?" Alfred stammered, glancing between them. Rebel, Alice, rebel. Several others were whispering now, unsure how a random guard could pull the rebels' attention away from the princess of Britannia.

"What's your name?"

"Alfred. Alfred Williams." He answered, the fear obvious in his voice.

The woman paused, then scoffed. "You can lie to me too, if you want, but I at least know the truth about you. What is it with royalty and their lies?" She wasn't making any sense at all. She was probably insane, Alice decided. The princess made eyes contact with Alfred, he looked more confused now. His eyes swam in tears that refused to fall. Not yet.

"Who is he?" A different rebel asked, a woman to Alice's left with greasy scarlet hair.

"Prince Alfred Foster Jones." Whispers filled the room at her answer. Alice looked back at Alfred in shock. She had thought so too, although this random rebel saying so didn't prove anything, but she sounded so sure. She sounded right. No one had ever said it out loud before. "Yeah, I remember you. I couldn't figure out why they wanted to keep you alive! Would've solved this problem a long time ago if we had just killed you instead of taking you."

Alfred just stared at the floor in front of him with glass eyes, tears falling down his cheeks. He didn't say a word, almost like he had expected her to say that.

"I-I thought he was killed!" The other rebel cried. "When you ran into the Britannians, on the border! That was years ago!"

"I thought he was killed in the Americana raid." Another said. Alice didn't know if they were rebel or guard.

"I thought that, too." She said, her grip on Alice had become bruising. "But I don't forget faces, especially not his. A few years can't fool me."

"I'm not-" Alfred finally murmured. "I can't be-" He seemed to argue with himself rather than any of them.

"You can beg all you want, Your Highness, but it won't change anything. I'll finish the job this time. You've been kept alive for too long. Maybe if we can kill you, we can get to your sister and actually end something." The rebel hissed. She straightened her arm and aimed at Alfred.

"No!" Alice screamed, struggling away from the woman. "Alfred!"

He squeezed his eyes shut as began he to cry harder, sobs escaping him as he wiped his face with bloody hands. A gun went off, the shot echoing through the empty hall.

Her grip on Alice slacked and the princess ripped away from her. It wasn't the woman's. She screamed out in a pained way, clutching at her chest.

The world exploded around her again, time becoming a crawl as Alice fell into a puddle of blood, still sickly warm. Unharmed, but lacking the ability to breathe. Bullets flew, connecting with guards or rebels as the standstill finally ended and it became a battlefield again. The woman stumbled, ending up on her knees. A red spot on her stained white shirt grew, but she still straightened up, one hand on her wound and the other griping the gun tighter again. She held it up again shakily, aiming at Alfred, struggling to crawl across the floor and out of the battle.

Alice bolted to Alfred, finally regaining some ability to comprehend what was going on, blocking the woman's bullet as it burst from the gun. She finally collapsed as the princess screamed, pain bursting through her stomach. She fell near Alfred, smashing her head on a broken table.

She only heard her name being called as the world became black and silent, finally.


	33. XXXIII

**Sorry for keeping you guys waiting.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.**

"Hey, Alice.."

"It's been, uh, a week, since the rebels attacked. A week..."

"Well, anyway. I thought I'd come visit you again, before they got here. I'm going to go meet my parents soon. Again. They're almost here. Maddie's coming too."

"I wish you were awake, you'd have something funny to say. Or you'd tell me I'm being stupid. I probably am, but it's scary. I'm a stranger to them. I'm not going to be who they expect. I'm not their son.

"I'm scared, Alice. Really scared."

"They're going to hate me, I know they will. I'm not a prince. I'm not him."

"Everybody's expecting the prince, but I'm not him. I think you're the only person in the whole world who'd rather me over him."

"It's not my fault I disappeared for twelve years, or that I couldn't remember who I was or that all that happened. I wish I could change it, I really do."

"But I guess that would mean that I would have never known you like this. I wouldn't change it then, not if I couldn't meet you the way we did..."

"Your parents are worried you're not going to wake up. I mean, I'm scared too, but you're the only one I've told."

"Please wake up, Alice. I don't-"

"Can you even hear me?"

"I don't know what I'll do if you die. I can't do this without you."

"I miss you."


	34. XXXIV

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.**

Alice finally managed to open her eyes. Her eyelids still felt like lead, but it was easier now. She was regaining some feeling in her body again, but pain came with the feeling. Her thoughts were jumbled, words and events and everything trying to work itself out.

Who had said all those things to her? When she was unable to respond, unable to tell them that she missed them, too.

The room was cold, creating goosebumps on her skin. It was white too. White walls, white ceiling, white blankets, white ceiling fan humming lazily. A soft beeping in the otherwise silent white. It was somewhere to her left, but turning to look sparked a whole new pain in her head. There were voices outside the white door she just managed to grasp.

"...highness, you know as much as I..."

"...there must be some kind of idea, she can't just..." A man's voice, shockingly familiar, but she couldn't place exactly who it belong to.

"...can't tell you an answer, because I don't have one. It's a matter of time for..."

"...can I see her..." Alice shifted into a sitting position, a numbing pain in her stomach.

There were a few more moments before the door clicked and opened. It stayed as a woman spoke. "I truly am sorry, Your Highness." A nurse walked in the room and shut the door behind her, sighing. She glanced over at Alice and froze, eyes widening at the sight of her awake. "P-Princess!"

Alice was unable to say anything before the woman bolted out of the room again, leaving the door wide open.

"Prince Alfred!" She exclaimed down the hall. "She's awake."

There were quick footsteps and Alfred walked into the room, the nurse lingering behind him. Prince Alfred, that was what she had said. Perhaps she had imagined it.

"Go tell the queen and king she's awake, and my parents." His parents, Alice wondered, as the nurse rushed away at his request. Alfred looked back to her with a softer expression. "Hey."

"What happened?" Alice croaked, her voice sore from lack of use. Her memories slowly returned, the rebels, the woman, the guns. The prince.

Alfred sat on the edge of her bed. "You know who you are? Who I am?"

The princess nodded slowly. "I'm Alice Kirkland and you're Alfred."

He smiled softly and nodded. "Good, they were worried you'd suffer some memory loss. Do you know where you are?"

"What happened?" She asked.

"It's a lot to explain." He returned, taking her hand and rubbing her knuckles.

"How long have I been asleep?" Alfred hesitated, a strange look crossing his face.

"A month. You hit your head pretty hard, loss a lot of blood." The blond whispered, staring at their hands. "I was worried-" He paused and swallowed. "Worried, that you wouldn't wake up at all. Or maybe you'd get amnesia like I did."

Alice didn't say anything for a moment, glancing at the wall. "You said your parents."

Alfred looked at her in surprise, then nodded and looked back away. "Yeah, my parents." He sighed. "You should take it easy-"

"Alfred." She said somewhat sternly. He glanced at her in surprise. "Tell me what happened."

He was quiet for a minute long before answering. "That rebel, who grabbed you, I knew her, as soon as I saw her, I recognized her. She was the same one who grabbed me, twelve years ago. I saw her, and I remembered, when the rebels attacked my castle. I remembered everything, about me, about my family and my country, about you." He chuckled and smiled, meeting her gaze again. "We were going to get married."

Alice just stared, eyes wide. She couldn't think of anything to say. If that was what he was saying, he couldn't really be him. Her Alfred, that Alfred. They were the same person.

The door suddenly burst open, causing both of them to jump "Alice!" Her mother exclaimed. She practically shoved Alfred aside to trap Alice in a tight hug.

"M-Mum! I can't breathe." The princess wheezed. Alfred stood and back away as her mother checked over her. Her father arrived moments later, hugged her and asking her too many questions. Her head was already buzzing, trying to make sense of what Alfred had said.

The door opened again, Alice didn't think she could handle anyone else smothering her. Although, it wasn't who she expected. The queen of Americana peeked her head inside the room. She paused at Alice and her parents but then smiled softly. She noticed Alfred standing against the wall and waved him over to her. The blond mouthed that he'd talk to her later and left, but Alice wished he would stay and her parents would calm down.

They kept asking questions and smoothing her hair and holding her hands. We had thought you were gone, we thought you wouldn't wake up, we thought you were dead.

She wasn't dead, and apparently, Alfred Jones wasn't either.


	35. XXXV

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.**

Alice wrinkled her nose, coughing a few times. Subconsciously, the dull pain in her body seemed to begin to fade away.

A nurse smiled amusedly at her. "I'm sorry, Your Highness, but if you take that, at least it won't hurt anymore."

"No, it's fine. Hopefully I won't have to worry about it much longer." Alice answered, offering the plastic cup back to her.

"I'd expect you to be moving around in a week or two. Being stationary in that coma definitely took out some of your recovery time. You're not having any head problems, right?" She collected her things on her tray.

"No, no head problems." Just aching pain pretty much everywhere else.

"All right then, if you need anything at all, please call me."

Alice nodded. "Thank you." She called as the woman curtsied, grabbed her tray, and opened the door.

"Oh!" The nurse exclaimed, she quickly balanced her tray into one hand and did an another half curtsy. "Hello, Your Highness. I was just checking on her, if you'd like to come in."

"Yeah, thanks." The nurse left and Alfred replaced her, shutting the door to her little white room. "Hey, how are you doing?"

The princess crossed her arms over her chest scowling, despite her excitement to see him. "Well, no one has told me anything outside of my castle being attacked by rebels and how I got shot in the stomach and had a concussion which was why I was in a coma for a month, but I've been ignored and avoided by nearly everyone, including my parents and _you_ , so I think I'd like some questions actually answered. You know, I am supposed to be getting married in two days." Alice ranted.

Since she had woken up three days ago, all she knew was the extent of her wounds and how rebels had infiltrated the castle. They had also told her than Alfred hadn't been harmed badly, other than the shot to his thigh, which was healing fine now. He hadn't come back to visit her since that first day, her parents had said he was busy and she wasn't allowed to move far from her room because of her injuries. Alice just thought he was avoiding her. They wouldn't tell her what he had meant by all that earlier either.

"I meant your health, but I guess that's fair." He sat in the chair that the nurse had been sitting in before beside her bed. "And your wedding got canceled."

The princess gasped, grabbing his hand in excitement, although the sudden movement cause pain to stab her again. "Really?! They canceled Francis and my wedding?"

He laughed and squeezed her hand back. "I think you're the only bride that's happy her wedding was canceled, but yeah. They haven't canceled the engagement yet, because they wanted your input on what to next."

She smiled but then sighed. "Can you just tell me what's going on?" Alice glanced down at the bedsheets. "The rebel had said you were the prince, and then you said you remembered, but no one has given me a straight answer about _anything_."

"They probably thought I should be the one to tell you. I told them all about how we were dating, but anyway!" Alfred smiled and sat up, looking at her. "Allow me to really introduce myself. I'm Alfred F. Jones, Crown Prince of Americana."

Alice blinked. "Really?" He nodded, suddenly obviously embarrassed. "You. You're- You're him. I mean, I thought about it! But I never thought it was really true, I just thought I was seeing stuff that wasn't there!"

"You knew?!"

"I suspected." She sighed, holding on to his hand tighter. "When I went to Americana, I picked up on things. The queen said that they had never found a body, but she hadn't been told until recently, and Madeline. She showed me around the castle, and the memorial room, you were in there. It's the only photo I've ever seen of the prince- you- Well, when I saw it, I was surprised about how similar you two looked. Well, I guess there never two of you." Alfred smiled.

"Yeah, I guess not. Stuff had been coming back, kind of gradually, but all randomly, like in dreams. I couldn't really make sense of it until that rebel said that. Of course, they'd know who I was, I just hadn't thought any original ones were left. And after the castle got secured and you got out of surgery, I told your parents. They seemed skeptical, but my parents had already heard of the attack and were trying to help, since they had gone through the same thing. They called them and told them what I had said and they did blood tests and everything and yeah. I'm the prince." Alfred explained quietly.

Alice smiled and nodded. She wished she could've seen their reunion. "You're taking this fairly well, though. I'd expect you to be more stressed about it." Sometimes Alfred let his anxiety take over him, but that didn't see to be the case now. Or perhaps she had just missed that part in her coma.

"Yeah, I guess I kind of always knew, subconsciously. I mean, I don't remember everything from my childhood, like all of that had just been filled. There's still holes, but it's enough. It's still kind of weird, though, I still feel like the prince is someone totally different than me." The prince said.

"You're still Alfred, even if there is a prince in front of that now."

"Thanks." He sighed in relief. "I thought it'd harder to convince you about all this."

"Mmhm." Alice took a deep breath and rested her head back. "I'll be glad when I can move around again. I hate not knowing what's going on out there."

"Well, I'll do my best to tell you everything, I get to sit in on everything now."

"Yeah, being royalty will do that for you." She hesitated. "What did Francis say about the wedding being canceled?"

"He's disappointed, but it's understandable. He was more worried about your health. And about the actual engagement." Alfred answered, more shyly.

"The engagement?"

"Well, since I'm alive, I guess you've got a previous engagement you've got to worry about." He blushed and smiled at her.

Alice sat up again, ignoring the pinprick of pain shooting through her abdomen. "You mean-"

"Our parents said we could get married, if you wanted to."

"Oh my- Yes!" The princess exclaimed, both beaming. She held out her arms for him to hug her. "Yes, yes, yes!"

The prince was just laughing, hugging her close but softly enough where it didn't hurt. "I hoped you'd say that."

"Wait, not now, right?" She asked once they pulled away.

Alfred shook his head. "No, no totally not. You're still hurt and I'm still limping and I've got to figure out how to be king and get to know my family and yeah all that. Since I wasn't around, my parents said I could wait a while until I took the crown, until I was ready."

"Well, luck for you, your new fiancé has spent her whole life learning how to be queen. I'm sure I could teach you a few things." Alice smiled. She rather liked the sound of fiancé.

"I don't know if you count as new, I think we've been engaged since I was two." They both smiled at that. "But thank you. I don't think I could this by myself."

"You won't, neither of us are going to be disappearing any time soon, I'll make sure of that one." Alfred smiled and laced his fingers with hers. An unspoken promise that he was going make sure of that too.


	36. XXXVI

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.**

"Are you still okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes! I'm perfectly fine, bloody hell, Alfred. Stop worrying so much." Alice snapped.

He pouted and pulled away from her, standing a good foot and a half from her. "Fine then, it's not like you got shot or anything."

Alice frowned, feeling herself become dizzy as soon as his support vanished. "I didn't say you had to go all the way over there." She blushed.

The prince huffed, but replaced his hands on her, helping her enough so she wouldn't fall. She was recovering well, they said, but there would still be a while until she was completely back to normal. They had finally said she could walk around today and begin to return to her own bedroom, rather than the room in the hospital hall that she had spent the last month and a week staying in. Although she hadn't been awake for most of it, it had been miserable. She hated being stuck alone like that. Alfred and her parents had visited as much as they could, but they still had their own duties to worry about.

"Well, where do you want to go first? I think your parents are in a meeting and mine are talking to some people at home." Alfred explained. It was still odd to hear him talk about his parents and Americana, but he had completely fallen into the habit of it. She guess he got used to it in the month she had been out.

"I don't really care. I'm just happy to see something outside of that room." Alice answered.

He hummed, then his eyes lit up. "Oh, I know who we can go see!" The prince led her down the halls, knowing the castle quite well from his time as a guard.

Alice suddenly realized that he would never be that now. He was a prince, he had more important things to do than work as a guard and spend the afternoons with her. She wondered what he was going to do when things got settled. Would he finally go home?

They stopped in front of one of the guest rooms and Alfred knocked quickly. They waited a long second before the door cracked open and nearly violet eyes peered at them. "Hey Mads! Can we come in?"

The Americana princess rolled her eyes but opened the door wider. "Sure. Hi, Alice."

The Britannian had forgotten about Madeline. Of course, Alfred was her brother now. He had always been.

They walked inside the room, a guest bedroom that looked a little more lived in now. The closet was cracked, showing several Americanan style dresses and a mess of heels and flats. There were a few books and papers stacked on the dresser along with another stack of papers on the night stand.

Alfred helped her to sit on the bed and then plopped down at head of the bed. Madeline sat on the other side of Alfred, the bed being so large that there was no problem fitting them all on together.

"I heard about your injuries, I hope you're okay now." Madeline continued.

"Oh, yes, I'm doing much better." Alice returned, playing with her fingers, suddenly she felt nervous in the siblings' presence.

"Yeah, I'm sorry you had to deal with him so long." Madeline said, pointed at Alfred. "I've only known him for about a month now and I'm already done."

The prince looked offended, looking to Alice as if to ask her if she believed this. "Hey! I thought you were a pretty good sister but I guess I was wrong."

"I rathered being an only child." Madeline responded. Alice blinked, watching the two fight. She had been convinced they were serious until Madeline bursted out laughing, distracting Alfred from whatever he had been saying. "You know were kidding right?" The princess asked, watching Alice's bewildered expression.

"Oh." Alfred began to laugh too, looking at Alice rather than his sister. Their laughs were identical, the princess realized.

"Gosh, Alice, you actually thought we hated each other?" He asked.

The blond shrugged. "I didn't know, I've never seen you together!"

"Well, there were all your birthday parties." Madeline smiled. "But no, I guess I like Al. At least I don't have to be queen now."

"That's the only reason you want me around, huh?"

"No, I need you to get stuff off the high shelves when Dad's not around."

"Look how loved I am."

"No wait!" Madeline suddenly jumped up. She crawled over to the nightstand and grabbed the stack of papers. "Look what Mom and Dad had, I found them in their room this morning."

Alice realized that they weren't papers, but photos. Colored photos of the Americana royal family, she noticed as Madeline spread them out on the plush covers. Photos of all of them, one with just the queen and king smiling, one with a younger Madeline in a obnoxiously pink gown, one with a young Alfred sitting on a throne far too big for him with a large grin. The photos made them seem like just a normal family, one you'd see in an ad rather than on a throne. Not one that was royalty. Not one who had lost their son.

The Britannian picked up a photo of Alfred, he looked just about eight. He was grinning at whoever taking the photo, probably his mother or father. Alice glanced back at Madeline and Alfred, laughing over a candid shot of their father making a weird face.

She smiled at the two. After all those missing years, it seemed that they still could be that family again.


	37. XXXVII

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.**

The meeting room silenced when Alfred opened the door. The nobles and advisors became quiet and quickly stood while Alice and Alfred found their seats, across from each other on the sides of their parents.

Alice's father and mother were already there while Alfred's still hadn't arrived yet. The meeting didn't start for a few more minutes so they still had time, although Alice doubted the meeting would start without them.

It had been a wonderful two weeks. She had been finally released from the hospital hall and allowed to go back to her own room, warned to take it easy. She had been left out most meetings to avoid stressing her recovery and Alfred had been her company when he wasn't required to attend them either.

When he wasn't available, Alice spent time with Madeline, happily sharing stories of Alfred. The afternoons and the classes and the month she had missed. Alice was quite fond of the younger princess, when she finally got her out of her shell.

Today though, was a meeting everyone had to attend.

It had been nearly two months since the attack on the Britannian castle. The memories still lingered though. Despite the new paint on the walls covering scrubbed blood stains to the chips in the tables from bullets and the memorial they held, honoring all those who had died to keep her family alive, the memories were still there. There were blank halls where paintings and busts had been destroyed by the battle. There were the guards who weren't as lucky, those who were still stuck in beds or graves.

There were the nights when Alice jerked awake to the echos of gunshots and screams and the sweet smell of death lingered in her bedroom, she could swear she was going to die this time. They wouldn't be so lucky this time. Sometimes she would sneak out of her room and down a staircase to where Alfred slept and she would ask him to stay. He'd always say yes because it had been hell and he had done it twice. Then he would just hold her for a while until the castle silenced and the blood stopped and the smell finally went away.

It had been a month and a half since Americana got their prince back. There were several videos of the monumental moment, when the king and queen had arrived in a ruined castle and found their son alive. They had all been crying, holding on to each other before something else could rip them apart again. There were pictures of Madeline finally meeting her brother and them adopting little nicknames and laughing through the tears. There were photos of the celebration that erupted in Americana after the news had reached them. Their prince was alive.

The door opened again, the Americanan queen and king finally arriving. "Sorry we held you up, there was a call with the minister we couldn't get out of." The queen said as they sat beside Alfred. They said a few things quietly together as the rest of the attendees sat, preparing to start the meeting. He looked remarkably like his parents, Alice scolded herself for not noticing it before.

Quickly the Americana king stood again as everyone was seated. "My family and I would like to thank you again for allowing us to stay with you for so long," He glanced at Alfred and smiled,"among other things that we can never repay you for. Though, it's coming time for us to return home. We still intend to provide whatever help we can, but it will have to be from our own country."

Alice met Alfred's gaze and he looked bittersweet. Of course, he wanted to be able to finally go home. He would be able to see a place that he only knew now in memories, along with meet the rest of his extended family and friends and see his own country and people that he was destined to rule, but that required leaving Britannia. It meant they'd truly part for the first time.

"We're already planning a party, for Alfred's next birthday, which you are of course invited to. I'm making plans to leave by next Tuesday, thank you for letting us stay with you for this long." The king returned to his seat.

"We also intend on publicly announcing your engagement at the party." Alfred's mother added. The prince must have known already because he glanced at Alice for her reaction. "Well, announcing it again."

"I'd like to bring that up, actually, Your Majesty." A noble suddenly said, catching the attention of both royal families, although he had only been referring to the Britannians.

Alice's mother raised an eyebrow. "Speak."

The man looked awfully nervous, glancing between the families. "Well, now that the panic of the recent attack has subsided, I think, perhaps, we should rethink the arraignment between Princess Alice and Prince Alfred." There were a few whispers among the other nobles and Alice immediately looked at Alfred. He looked worried.

"Why would we?" The Britannia king asked. Alice glanced at her parents, they didn't seem to be entertaining the idea, but they still could, couldn't they? The princess had thought everything was perfect now, but what if it all fell through at the last minute?

"Well-" The man hesitated, finally catching Alice's eye. If looks could kill, he would've already been on the floor, but the princess knew her place. Let the adults talk now and she would get her word in later. "It's just, he had been gone for nearly twelve years now! No offense to you, Your Highness, but you don't know anything about ruling a country. Do we really want to put the future of Britannia with a king who does not know what he's doing."

Alfred looked pale, because he was right. Alfred didn't know the first thing about ruling a country. He hadn't even been in Americana since he was a child. His parents, on the other hand, looked furious.

To hell with her place. Alice stood up, her head felt dizzy from the sudden movement but she ignore the feeling. "Your opinion is taken into account, but I'll have you know it's stupid and factless." The room gasped.

"Alice! Sit down." Her mother hissed, but Alice ignored her.

"I know Alfred better then most of you, and I have absolutely no doubts that he will do more than fulfill his duties as the crown prince and future king of Americana. He has excellent strategic skills and excels at mathematics and sciences, not to mention great sword fighting and combat skills from his time as a guard. Also, about the 'future of Britannia', he's only studied Britiannian history and politics since he was thirteen, being close to me and attending classes with me. So you can ask him anything you would ask me and I don't think he would have any trouble answering it. Sure, he has plenty to learn, but as do I and you don't seem to be worried about my abilities to rule. We aren't taking the throne tomorrow, and even if we were, I don't think we'd have any trouble. So unless you have any other concerns about his, or my, abilities to rule, I think we're done." The man looked mortified as Alice smirked and sat down again. The rest of the room looked shocked, Alfred relived and her mother hiding her face in her hands.

Her father looked about to laugh but cleared his throat and recovered. "Well, anyone have anything else to say about their engagement?" They were silence and Alice smiled. "Then lets continue."


End file.
